THE  LIGHT  OF  JAPAN 


SOLDIER  AND  SERVANT  SERIES,  APRIL.  1906. 
EXTRA  NUMBER 


THE  LIGHT  OF 
JAPAN 


\>i* 


2^^          CHURCH  WORK  IN  THE  DIO-  ^^ 

■^J^Bl       CESES   OF   SOUTH    TOKYO,  JU^^ 

^****^l              OSAKA  AND  KIUSHIU,  UNDER  J^^^V 

fel              THE  CHURCH    OF   ENGLAND  'j     fe^ 

COMPILED  BY  A.  ARNOLD,  AS- 
SOCIATE OF  THE  S.  P.  G.  IN  THE 

A     DIOCESE    OF   SOUTH   TOKYO  ^J^ 

WITH  INTRODUCTION  BY  THE  ^^^^^ 

BISHOP  OF  SOUTH  TOKYO  ^^^ 


CHURCH  MISSIONS  PUBLISHING  CO 

AUXILIARY  TO  THE  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS 

211  STATE  STREET  HARTFORD  CONN 


Copyright,  1900,  by 
Church  Missions  Publishing  Co. 


Illustrations 

The  Bishops  of  the  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai     Frontispiece 

To  face  page 

Bishop    Bickersteth 41 

By  kind  permission  of  G.  Palmer     ...  28 

First  Six  Clergy  of  the  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai     .  42 

First  Aid  to  the  Injured 55 

A  Soldier  of  the  Line         ....  58 

Tokyo  Pro-Cathedral 66 

St.  Andrew's  Boys' School,  Tokyo  ...  68 

A  Group  of  Pupils 70 

A  Pilgrim  starting  for  the  Holy  Mountain      .  74 
The  Bishop,  the  Rev.  F.  W.  and  Mrs.  Kennedy  and 
Family,  Miss  Makeham,  the  Staff  and  Pupils  of 

St.  Mary's  School 100 

Little  Buddhist  planting  Prayers  for  Soldiers  in 

the  Grass 117 

The  Hommyoji  Temple  at  Kumamoto  .         .  124 
Men's  Ward  of  the  Gardens  of  the  Kumamoto  Lep- 
er Hospital 126 

Deaf  and  Dumb  Artist  In-patient  of  the  Leper 

Hospital  at  Kumamoto         .         .         .         •  128 
Three  Little  Patients  in  the  Kumamoto  Leper 

Hospital               129 

Chapel  of  the  Kumamoto  Leper  Hospital       .  131 

Country  walk  near  Ikan 143 

Cherry  tree-lined  Arbor  to  the  Famous  Temple 

of  Kompira              .....  145 
The  Church  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Matsumoto,  with 

the  Chapter  of  St.  Andrew's  Brotherhood  157 
Miss  Makeham,  Miss  Ichimura,  and  Girls  of  St. 

Mary's  Home,  Matsumoto  .         .         .         .  160 

Police  Bible  Class,  Shitaya  Station         .         .  186 


The  Cape  Inuhoe  Lighthouse  which  supplied  the 
design  for  our  cover  is  described  on  page  167-9  of  this 
volume.  The  significance  of  the  choice  will  be  under- 
stood from  the  account  there  given  of  the  use  that  the 
Headkeeper  has  made  of  his  opportunities  as  guardian 
of  that  terrestrial  light  to  point  his  visitors  and  associates 
to  the  Celestial  Light,  "Which  lighteth  every  man  that 
Cometh  into  the  world." 

The  inscription  on  the  sides  of  the  title-page  follows 
out  the  same  thought.  It  was  used  as  a  Christmas 
decoration  in  one  of  our  mission  schools  and  reads,  "The 
Light  from  the  Manger  Bed  has  shown  throughout  the 
World:' 

With  the  exception  of  the  frontispiece,  most  of  the 
illustrations  of  this  book  have  been  made  expressly  for 
it,  many  of  them  from  private  photographs  sent  by 
Miss  Arnold. 


Contents 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I  Introductory            ....  1 
II  General    Progress    of    Christian    Mis- 
sions (1859-87) 13 

III  Bishop  Bickersteth's  Episcopate  (1886- 

97) 21 

IV  The  Building  Up  of  the  Sei  Kokwai — 
Bishop  Bickersteth's  Episcopate  {Con- 
tinued)    28 

V  The  Work  of  the  S.P.G.  and  C.M.S.  in 

Tokyo  42 

VI  St.  Andrew's  and  St.  Hilda's  Commun- 
ity   Missions     at    Tokyo     .         .  62 
VII  St.  Andrew's  and  St.  Hilda's  Commun- 
ity Missions  at  Tokyo  {Continued)  75 
VIII  Church  Work  at  Osaka     ...  84 
IX  Church  Work  at  Some  ''Treaty  Ports"  100 

X  C.M.S.  Work 112 

XI    The  Lepers  at  Kumamoto,  Its  Church 

AND  Hospital 125 

XII  The  Missions  of  the  Canadian  Church 

IN  Japan 132 

XIII  The  Missions  of  the  Canadian  Church 

IN    Japan     {Continued)   .         .         .  151 

XIV  Country  Work  in  Boshu,  etc.  .         .  162 
XV  Some   Country  Stations  of  the   S.P.G. 

Mission  in  the  South  Tokyo  Diocese  173 
XVI  Work    Amongst    Police    and    Factory 

Workers 185 

XVII  On  the  Japanese  Prayer  Book  as  Com- 
pared WITH  THE  English  and  American 

Prayer  Books 193 

Appendix  I — Diocese  of  Hokkaido 
Appendix  II — Translation  of  the  Scriptures 
Appendix  III — Statistics        .... 
Index     .         


Preface 

The  Church  Missions  Publishing  Company,  in  its 
endeavor  to  supply  information  from  every  part  of  the 
Missionary  world,  found  a  demand  for  some  authority 
on  the  English  Church  Missions  in  Japan. 

They  deputed  one  of  their  number  to  enter  into 
correspondence  with  the  workers  in  the  field,  and 
the  four  English  bishops  were  approached.  From 
two  of  them.  Bishop  Fyson  of  Hokkaido  and  Bishop 
Awdry  of  South  Tokyo,  answers  were  received.  The 
former  pointed  us  to  the  statistical  information  which 
can  be  compiled  from  printed  sources,  such  as  Mr. 
Stock's  book  and  the  Year  book  of  the  Church  of 
England ;  while  Bishop  Awdry  most  kindly  undertook 
through  Miss  Arnold,  an  Associate  of  the  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  to  prepare  a  state- 
ment of  the  field  and  the  work. 

Many  vicissitudes  were  encountered  and,  from 
various  causes,  delays  arose  which  were  vexatious. 
These  delays  have  not,  however,  impaired  the  value 
of  the  work.  It  would  be  difficult  to  present  any- 
thing as  a  finality  for  life  in  Japan  to  day,  but  it  is 
certain  that  such  an  account  of  existing  conditions 
secures  for  us  the  story  of  the  work  done  by  the  Church 
of  England  in  the  Sunrise  Kingdom,  during  its  most 
important  period. 

The  Publishing  Company  had  already  brought 
out  ''Japan  and  the  Nippon  Sei  Ko  Kwai,"  which 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Abbott  of  Cambridge  had  kindly  written 
at  their  request,  presenting  the  work  of  the  American 
Church  in  the  Dioceses  of  Tokyo  and  Kyoto.  They 
now  send  out  to  the  public  this  little  volume,  which 


X  PREFACE 

treats  of  some  aspects  of  the  Sei  Ko  Kwai  and  her 
missions  in  the  South  Tokyo,  Osaka,  and  the  Kiu 
Shin  Dioceses,  trusting  that  with  its  touches  of  per- 
sonal experience,  with  the  account  of  missions  to  the 
fishermen  and  of  those  to  the  lepers,  and  with  the 
additional  fact  that  it  is  the  first  compilation  of  the 
missions  of  the  Church  of  England  in  the  Sei  Ko 
Kwai  as  a  whole  yet  published,  it  may  constitute  a 
sterling  contribution  to  the  literature  of  missions. 

At  the  request  of  Bishop  Awdry  and  Miss  Arnold, 
permission  was  given  for  the  book  to  appear  simulta- 
neously on  both  sides  of  the  water.  The  EngUsh 
edition  has,  however,  preceded  the  American,  taking 
the  title  of  ''Church  Work  in  Japan";  while  the 
American  book  will  bear  the  legend  ''The  Light 
of  Japan^with  the  English  as  an  explanatory  sub-title. 

Miss  Arnold  desires  to  say  that  she  has  endeavored 
to  present  the  work  not  of  one  society  or  another, 
but  that  of  the  Church  as  a  whole.  The  Dioceses 
have  been  taken  as  centres  and  the  addition  of  Hokkai- 
do in  an  appendix  by  the  American  editor  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  it  did  not  come  within  the  range  of  her 
travels.  She  wishes  to  express  her  indebtedness  to 
the  Missionaries  of  the  several  stations  for  their  review 
of  each  section  of  the  work,  and  to  the  Rev.  A.  F. 
King  for  his  careful  scrutiny  and  kind  advice,  while 
to  Mrs.  Bickersteth  and  Bishop  Awdry  the  Board  of 
Editors  unite  with  Miss  Arnold  in  grateful  acknowl- 
edgement of  work  which  could  not  have  been  ac- 
complished save  by  their  kind  co-operation. 

Annie  Leakin  Sioussat, 
Editor  for  Church  Missions  PubHshing  Co. 


Introduction 

Tokyo,  Japan,  December  19,  1905. 

Miss  Alfreda  Arnold  has  written  this  Uttle  book 
at  my  request,  and  I  was  led  to  ask  her  to  write  it 
by  the  desire  expressed  in  America*  to  have  some- 
thing about  the  missions  of  the  English  Church  in 
Japan  more  or  less  corresponding  to  what  Dr.  Abbott 
has  published  in  regard  to  the  American  Church 
Missions   in    this    country. 

This  sketch  is  rather  fuller  than  Dr.  Abbott's  but 
does  not  profess  to  be  exhaustive.  For  example, 
as  Miss  Arnold  has  not  been  able  personally  to  visit 
Hokkaido  (the  Northern  Island  of  Japan),  she  has 
not  included  it  in  her  sketch,  through  the  mission  of 
the  Church  Missionary  Society  there  is  very  fruitful 
and  the  aboriginal  inhabitants,  the  Ainu,  who  to  the 
number  of  fifteen  thousand  are  found  there  only, 
are  rapidly  becoming  Christians  under  the  influence 
of  that  mission. 

But  Miss  Arnold  has  travelled  widely  among  the 
Mission  Stations  of  the  other  three  jurisdictions. 
South  Tokyo,  Osaka  and  Kiu  Shiu  which  are  under 
the  charge  of  Bishops  of  the  English  Church,  and  her 
little  book  has  the  merit  of  being  the  product  of  the 
bright  fresh  mind  of  one  who  is  living  in  Japan  and 
taking  her  part  in  missionary  work;  while,  being 
more  free  than  most  missionaries,  she  has  travelled 
about  to  the  places  of  which  she  speaks  and  has  drawn 
her  information  at  first  hand.  These  qualifications 
are  of  the  highest  importance,  for  scarcely  any  one 

*Through  the  Church  Missions  Publishing  Company. 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

in  the  West  understands  Japan  who  has  not  been 
there  for  a  considerable  period,  and  changes  are  so 
rapid  that  what  is  written  by  a  person  who  left  the 
country  five  or  even  three  years  ago,  may  be  quite 
out  of  date. 

William  Awdry. 
Bishop  in  South  Tokyo. 


CHAPTER  I 

Introductory 

Modern  Missions — Sketch  from  1859-87. 

It  was  in  1853  that  Commodore  Perry  anchored  with 
his  squadron  off  the  entrance  to  the  Gulf  of  Yedo. 
Eight  months  later,  as  the  result  of  firm  but  courteous 
negotiations  with  the  Shogunate,  he  arranged  a  treaty 
by  which  two  Japanese  ports  were  opened  to  American 
trade.  For  two  hundred  and  thirty  years  Japan  had 
been  closed  to  the  ^outside  world ;  the  Dutch  alone, 
under  humiliating  terms,  had  been  allowed  to  hold 
scanty  communication  with  it  through  the  few  Dutch 
merchants  in  Nagasaki.  Fruitless  efforts  to  open  the 
closed  doors  had  from  time  to  time  been  made,  but  now 
at  last  Perry  had  succeeded  in  gaining  an  entrance,  and 
the  other  Western  nations  hastened  to  claim  the  same 
privileges  as  those  granted  to  the  United  States.  For 
a  time  only  a  few  further  concessions  were  made,  and 
these  with  the  greatest  reluctance;  but  in  1858  treaties 
with  the  United  States  and  with  Great  Britain  allowed 
members  of  those  nations  to  reside  at  certain  ports  of 
Japan,  and  it  was  stipulated  that  these  ports — Hako- 
date, Kanagawa  (Yokohama),  Nagasaki,  Hiogo  (Kobe), 
Osaka,  and  Niigata — should  be  opened  to  their  com- 
merce. Very  soon  France  and  other  countries  received 
for  their  people  the  same  privileges. 


2  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

But  these  early  treaties  had  been  made  with  the 
Shogun's  government,  not  with  the  Mikado  who  had 
been  wrongly  regarded  by  foreign  governments  as  merely 
the  spiritual  ruler  of  his  people.  For  some  years  attacks 
on  the  legations  and  on  individuals  witnessed  to  the  deep 
resentment  felt  by  many  of  the  great  Daimyos  and  by 
their  retainers,  the  Samurai,  at  the  way  in  which  their 
Emperor's  sovereign  authority  and  their  own  rights 
were  being  ignored.  The  Powers  concerned  demanded 
heavy  indemnities  for  the  outrages  which  ensued,  and 
much  bitterness  was  created.  Happily,  though  the  in- 
cidents were  deplorable  in  themselves,  they  led  to  some 
good  results.  The  leaders  of  the  Choshu  and  Satsuma 
clans  began  to  seek  closer  intercourse  with  the  Western 
nations  in  order  to  learn  of  them  the  arts  that  made 
them  so  strong.  The  Shogunate,  too,  from  internal 
causes  was  by  this  time  much  shaken  in  power.  The 
Shogun  and  his  advisers  had  treated  with  the  foreigners, 
in  most  cases  from  sheer  inability  to  resist  the  guns 
of  their  fleets ;  but  when  the  Daimyos  at  Kioto  (the 
Emperor's  ancient  capital)  induced  the  Emperor  to 
command  that  the  foreigners  be  driven  from  the  country, 
the  Shogunate  could  only  adopt  a  temporising  policy 
towards  both  parties.  Gradually  the  Powers  awoke  to 
the  facts  that  the  Shogun  was  but  the  Viceroy  of  the 
Emperor,  that  the  Emperor  himself  had  not  sanctioned 
their  treaties  with  his  government,  and  that  Daimyos 
and  Samurai  had  had  good  cause  for  their  hostilities. 
The  recent  misunderstandings  began  to  clear ;  the 
foreign  treaties  were  ratified  at  Kioto  by  the  Emperor 
in  1865  ;  and,  three  years  later,  the  progressive  party, 
headed  by  the  Satsuma  men,  directed  a  successful 
revolution  against  the  Shogun's  government — after 
having  induced  the  new  Shogun  to  resign — and  firmly 
estabhshed  the  young  Emperor,  who  had  just  come  to 
the  throne,  as  undisputed  ruler  of  all  Japan. 


INTRODUCTORY  3 

The  same  year,  as  an  outward  sign  of  the  momentous 
change  wrought  by  the  Revolution,  the  Emperor  left 
his  seclusion  at  Kioto,  entered  Yedo  in  state,  and  set 
up  his  throne  there,  making  it  his  new  capital.  For 
centuries  Yedo  had  been  the  seat  of  the  executive 
government  of  the  Shogunate,  and  Kioto  the  sacred 
Imperial  city.  Now  a  new  era  had  begun — for  nation 
and  for  city — and,  to  emphasize  the  change,  Yedo  re- 
ceived its  new  name  of  Tokyo,  or  "  Eastern  Capital." 

Then  quickly  followed,  in  1871,  a  further  change  of 
highest  import.  That  year  witnessed  the  noble  and 
self-denying  surrender  by  the  Daimyos  of  all  their 
feudal  rights,  lands,  and  revenues  into  the  hands  of  the 
Emperor.  This  voluntary  act  of  patriotism  meant 
nothing  less  than  a  supreme  determination  to  have  a 
truly  united  Japan  under  one  Imperial  ruler.  Modern 
Japan  had  begun  her  march  forward — to  take  her  place 
within  thirty  years  among  the  foremost  nations  of  the 
twentieth  century.  Japan  had  not  had  the  shghtesf ' 
desire  to  be  drawn  into  the  race  with  the  Western 
nations,  but  finding  that  she  must  be  in  it,  she  resolved 
at  the  beginning  that  she  would  go  on  with  all  her  heart 
and  would  run,  not  last,  but  with  the  first. 

Modern  Missions  (1859-87). 

The  story  of  the  Portuguese  Jesuit  missions  to  Japan 
conducted  by  Francis  Xavier  in  the  sixteenth  century 
is  too  well  known  to  need  recapitulation  here.  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  while  the  Christian  teaching  of  the  Jesuits 
was  welcomed  by  the  people,  many  unfortunate  cir- 
cumstances combined  to  bring  about  the  speedy  down- 
fall of  a  mission  that  numbered  within  fifty  years  close 
upon  one  miUion  adherents.  The  ingrained  suspicion 
of  all  foreigners  on  the  part  of  the  Japanese  government ; 
a  policy  of  predetermined  opposition  pursued  so  soon  as 


4  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

convenient  by  both  Hideyoshi  and  lyeyasu  ;  ^  the  bad 
feeHng  between  the  Portuguese  Jesuits  and  the  later 
arrived  Franciscan  Spaniards  from  Manilla — a  bad 
feeling  made  worse  by  theological  differences,  and  the 
indiscreet  zeal  of  the  Franciscans  ;  lastly,  the  animosity 
and  intrigues  of  the  Buddhist  priests  who,  persecuted 
by  Nobunaga,  saw  their  chance  of  regaining  power  under 
his  successors  Hideyoshi  and  lyeyasu  :  these  untoward 
circumstances  of  opposing  policy,  internecine  jealousy, 
and  religious  hatred,  were  without  doubt  turned  to  cruel 
account  by  the  enmity  of  the  Dutch  (and,  be  it  acknow- 
ledged, by  a  few  English)  traders  who  were  bitter  foes 
to  Spaniards  and  Portuguese,  alike  in  religion  and  trade. 
Hence,  within  fifty  years  came  persecution,  bloodthirsty 
and  overwhelming,  and  a  process  of  extermination — 
total  as  it  was  thought — of  the  foreign  religion.  The 
edicts  for  the  discovery,  denunciation,  and  relentless 
punishment  of  all  Christians  remained  in  force  for  over 
two  centuries,  and  it  needed  but  the  marvellous  dis- 
covery in  1865  of  the  continued  existence,  in  the  Pro- 
vince of  Kiushiu,  of  loyal  descendants  of  these  Japanese 
Catholics  of  the  seventeenth  century,  for  the  flame  of 
persecution  to  rise  again  to  fierce  heat.  Of  this  more 
in  due  course  ;  the  story  of  modern  missions  to  Japan 
begins  properly  in  1859. 

At  that  date  the  treaties  of  the  foregoing  year  came 
into  force — that  with  the  United  States  being  negotiated 
by  Towsend  Harries  and  the  one  with  Great  Britain 
being  carried  through  by  Lord  Elgin.  These,  and  those 
following  with  France  and  with  other  nations,  gave  to 
the  foreign  residents  full  religious  toleration ;  but  the 


1  Even  Nobunaga's  previous  favourable  reception  of  the 
Jesuits  had  only  been  diplomatic  ;  before  his  assassination,  and 
as  his  position  grew  stronger,  signs  of  change  of  his  policy  be- 
came evident  (see  Mr.  J.  H.  Gubbins  in  Transactions  of  the 
Asiatic  Society  of  Japan), 


INTRODUCTORY  5 

edicts  against  Christianity  were  still  proclaimed  on  the 
public  notice-boards  throughout  the  country,  and  were 
enforced  with  severity  against  any  Japanese  who  might 
have  the  courage  to  embrace  the  Christian  faith.  Pre- 
viously, at  long  intervals,  both  Catholic  and  Protestant 
missionaries  had  made  solitary  attempts  to  force  the 
barriers  guarding  the  isolated  empire^  but  with  little 
visible  result.  And  for  some  years  to  come  little  or  no 
work  could  openly  be  attempted  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  treaty  ports.  But  the  delay  proved  beneficial  in 
giving  opportunities  of  fuller  preparation  for  entering 
in  at  the  door,  afterwards  to  be  flung  wide  open  to  all. 

To  America  belongs  the  high  honour  of  first  sending 
missionaries  to  take  advantage  of  the  treaties  opening 
the  country  to  the  foreigner's  residence.  In  May,  1859, 
even  before  the  treaties  came  into  force,  the  Rev.  J. 
Liggins  and  Rev.  C.  M.  Williams  (afterwards  Bishop  of 
Yedo),  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  America, 
had  already  arrived  at  Nagasaki.  Within  the  year  Dr. 
Hepburn  (of  the  American  Presbyterian  Board),  Dr. 
Verbeck  (of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  of  America), 
and  a  minister  of  the  American  Baptist  Free  Missionary 
Society,  had  arrived  and  were  settling  at  Nagasaki  and 
at  other  treaty  ports. 

Unfortunately  the  United  States  Civil  War  of  1861-65 
sadly  crippled  American  missionary  efforts  for  the 
time ;  in  1861,  therefore,  some  of  the  episcopal  mis- 
sionaries, who  were  compelled  to  retire  from  Japan  for 
lack  of  home  support,  wrote  to  England,  appealing  to 
the  Church  Missionary  Society  to  take  up  the  work 
they  had  begun.  Means,  however,  were  not  forthcoming, 
and  on  the  restoration  of  peace  the  American  missions 
were  enabled  to  strengthen  their  forces  in  Japan. 

Next  came  the  French  Roman  Catholic  Mission  on 
the  conclusion  of  that  nation's  treaty  with  the  Mikado. 
By  1862  chapels  had  been  erected  in  Yokohama  and 


6  CHURCH   WORK   IN   JAPAN 

Nagasaki  to  supply  the  spiritual  needs  of  Western 
Roman  Catholics.  To  these,  attracted  by  curiosity, 
came  numbers  of  Japanese,  and  a  church  at  Nagasaki, 
dedicated  in  1865  to  the  "  Twenty-six  Martyrs  of 
Japan,"  ^  became  the  direct  cause  of  the  discovery  that 
"  several  Christian  communities  round  about  Nagasaki 
had  survived  the  ruin  of  the  Church  of  their  forefathers 
over  two  centuries  ago.  They  had  preserved  certain 
prayers,  the  rite  of  baptism,  and  a  few  books.  But  if 
these  Christian  communities  survived,  the  persecuting 
spirit  survived  also.  In  1867-70,  all  those  Christians — 
and  they  numbered  over  four  thousand — who  refused 
to  forswear  their  faith,  were  torn  from  their  native 
villages  and  distributed  over  various  provinces  of  the 
empire,  where  they  were  kept  as  prisoners  by  the  re- 
spective Daimyos."  ^  Exile,  and  torture  in  numerous 
cases,  caused  the  deaths  of  over  two  thousand  of  these 
faithful  Christians  ;  the  remainder  were  set  at  liberty  in 
1873,  about  which  time  the  laws  against  Christians  fell 
into  abeyance.  This  wonderful  occurrence,  in  spite  of 
all  the  sufferings,  could  not  but  arouse  the  keenest  joy 
and  thankfulness  ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  mission  has 
had  to  make  way  against  the  aversion  in  which  they 
have  been  held  on  account  of  natural  prejudice  due  to 
the  memory  of  the  past — a  memory  so  fraught  with 
religious  animosity  and  supposed  political  intrigue. 

•English  Episcopal  and  American  Congregational 
Missions  now  followed  in  quick  succession.  From 
England  came  the  Rev.  George  Ensor,  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society,  to  Nagasaki,  and  from  America 
the  Rev.  D.  C.  Greene,  D.D.,  of  the  American  Board 
Mission  (Congregational),  both  arriving  in  1869.  Dr. 
Greene,  a  resident  first  in  Yokohama  and  then  in  Tokyo, 
is  still  an  active  missionary  of  his  Society. 

1  Crucified  for  their  faith  at  Nagasaki,  in  1597. 

2  B.  H.  Chamberlain  in  Things  Japanese,  3rd  ed.  p.  287. 


INTRODUCTORY  7 

Though  for  a  long  time  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
had  been  desirous  of  working  in  Japan,  it  was  not  till 
1868 — the  year  of  the  Restoration — that  a  fitting  op- 
portunity arose.  In  this  year  an  anonymous  dona- 
tion of  £4,000  enabled  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
to  send  Mr.  Ensor  in  January,  1869,  as  their  first  mis- 
sionary to  represent  the  Church  of  England  in  Japan. 
For  reasons  of  health  he,  and  the  Rev.  H.  Burnside, 
who  had  joined  him  in  1871,  were  soon  obliged  to  retire. 
Their  work  at  Nagasaki  was  carried  on  by  the  Rev.  H. 
Evington  (now  bishop)  from  Osaka,  and  in  1875  the 
station  was  placed  under  the  control  of  the  Rev.  Herbert 
Maundrell. 

Beside  their  first  station  at  Nagasaki,  the  C.M.S.  had 
between  1873  and  1875  established  four  new  mission 
centres  ;  Osaka,  to  which  came  the  Rev.  C.  F.  Warren, 
afterwards  Archdeacon  in  1873  ;  ^  Tokyo  was  assigned 
to  the  Rev.  J.  Piper,  in  1874 ;  Hakodate  in  the 
same  year  to  the  Rev.  W.  Dening,  who  was  transferred 
from  Madagascar,  and  Niigata,  in  1875,  to  the  Rev. 
P.  K.  Fyson  from  Tokyo,  now  Bishop  of  the  Hokkaido 
diocese.  These  five  stations,  with  the  exception  of 
Niigata,  which  was  relinquished  in  1883,  are  still  the 
chief  centres  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  in  Japan. 

Meanwhile,  Mr.  Williams  (in  1866  consecrated 
"  Missionary  Bishop  to  China,  with  jurisdiction  in 
Japan  ")  of  the  American  Episcopal  Church,  through 
the  ill-health  of  his  colleagues  and  the  American  Civil 
War,  had  been  left  to  carry  on  his  Mission,  from  1859 
to  1871,  practically  single-handed.     In  1869  he  moved 


1  For  a  year  Mr.  Warren  conducted  services  for  the  English 
community  in  Kobe  ;  he  was  then  reheved  there  by  Mr.  Eving- 
ton, and  in  1875  that  work  was  handed  over  to  the  S.P.G.  This 
foreign  settlement  of  Kobe  is  close  to  the  native  port  of  Hiogo, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  bay  from  Osaka,  and  has  become  the 
rival  of  Yokohama  as  a  principal  port  of  the  Empire. 


8  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

his  centre  of  work  from  Nagasaki,  to  which  place  Mr. 
Ensor  of  the  C.M.S.  had  just  been  sent,  to  Osaka  ; 
there  he  was  joined  by  a  colleague,  and  in  1873  he  came 
to  Yokohama  to  start  nearer  to  the  capital  of  the  em- 
pire a  fresh  centre  of  the  Mission.  A  year  later,  and  on 
becoming  resident  at  Tokyo,  his  title  was  changed  to 
that  of  "  Missionary-Bishop  of  Yedo,  with  jurisdiction 
in  Japan."  At  Tokyo,  Osaka  and  Kioto,  the  American 
Episcopal  Church  have  now  their  chief  spheres  of  work, 
Tokyo  and  Kioto  being  their  two  diocesan  centres. 

In  the  previous  year,  1873,  missionaries  belonging  to 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  foreign 
parts  began  work  in  Japan,  arriving  at  Yokohama 
in  the  same  ship  that  brought  Bishop  Williams.  The 
Rev.  W.  B.  Wright  and  the  late  Rev.  A.  C.  Shaw  (of 
Toronto,  Canada,  and  afterwards  Archdeacon  of  the 
diocese  of  South  Tokyo)  proceeded  at  once  to  Tokyo, 
where  they  took  up  their  residence.  Starting  work 
thus  at  Tokyo,  in  1876  the  Society  took  over  the  work 
of  the  C.M.S.  Mission  at  Kobe,  being  represented  there 
by  the  Rev.  H.  J.  Foss  and  the  Rev.  F.  B.  Plummer. 
The  former,  now  as  Bishop  of  Osaka,  still  continues  to 
reside  there.  Hence  Tokyo  and  Kobe  are  the  chief 
centres  of  this  Society's  Missions  in  Japan. 

The  Russian  Orthodox  Church,  though  established  in 
Tokyo  so  recently  as  1871,  numbers  already  some  24,000 
Church  members,  and  nearly  200  churches.  It  owes 
this  striking  progress  to  Bishop  Nicolai,  its  founder  in 
Japan.  In  1861  he  had  come  to  Japan  as  chaplain  to 
the  Russian  consulate  at  Hakodate  ;  for  several  years 
he  made  no  attempt  to  preach  to  the  Japanese,  but 
devoted  himself  to  a  careful  study  of  their  language.  In 
1866  he  baptized  his  first  convert,  a  Buddhist  priest, 
and  three  years  later  he  baptized  a  physician.  Return- 
ing in  1869  to  Russia,  Bishop  Nicolai  induced  the  Holy 
Synod  to  establish  a  Mission  in  Japan,  and  he  was  sent 


INTRODUCTORY  9 

out  as  its  first  bishop.  A  man  of  striking  appearance, 
and  for  forty- three  years  a  resident  in  Japan — from 
1871  Hving  in  the  heart  of  its  capital — no  missionary 
has  exerted  a  greater  influence  through  personal  magne- 
tism and  force  of  Christian  character  upon  Japanese 
and  foreigners  alike.  With  sometimes  four — more 
often  with  only  two  or  no  other  missionaries  to  help 
him — he  has  thoroughly  trained  numerous  native 
assistants  as  priests  and  catechists,  and  dispersed 
them  throughout  the  country.  Some  few  of  them  have 
been  even  through  a  theological  course  in  Russia. 

The  cathedral  of  the  Orthodox  Church  is  in  the  centre 
of  Tokyo,  situated  upon  high  ground  and  overlooking 
some  of  its  most  crowded  and  closely  Duilt  streets.  It 
is  conspicuous  by  its  size  and  character — of  simple  but 
ample  proportions  in  the  Russian-Byzantine  style. 
The  exterior  of  stone,  cased  in  stucco,  gleams  white  in 
the  sunlight  as  it  dominates  that  portion  of  the  city ; 
the  interior  possesses  a  magnificent  and  gilded  chancel 
screen  to  the  closed  sanctuary,  adorned  with  many 
modern  pictures  representative  of  the  Christian  Faith. 
As  Mr.  Chamberlain  truly  remarks,  "It  is  the  only 
ecclesiastical  edifice  in  Tokyo  with  any  pretensions  to 
architectural  splendour." 

Its  commanding  position  has  aroused  some  prejudice 
among  the  people,  for  no  building  in  this  city  should, 
according  to  Japanese  taste,  attain  a  higher  altitude  than 
the  Emperor's  Palace.  Fears  also  were  prevalent  on  the 
outbreak  of  the  present  war  that  popular  excitement 
might  vent  itself  in  some  attempt  upon  the  Bishop's 
life  as  a  Russian  subject,  and  on  his  cathedral  as  repre- 
sentative of  the  Russian  faith.  Police  protection  was 
at  once  afforded  by  the  authorities,  and  now,  after  ten 
months  of  war,  during  which  excitement  has  been  kept 
at  fever  heat,  now  by  glorious  victory,  occasionally  by 
sudden  disaster,  we  have  it  stated  in  the  Seikyo  Shimpo 


10  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

(Greek  Church  paper)  that  not  only  have  the  services  at 
their  cathedral  gone  on  as  usual,  but  that  the  cordial 
feelings  between  the  Bishop  and  his  Japanese  fellow- 
workers  have  not  cooled  in  the  least.  Japanese  Chris- 
tians were  indeed  praying  for  their  country's  success, 
but  they  recognized  that  their  prayers  were  subject  to 
the  Divine  Will.  In  the  Bishop's  letter  to  the  Novoe 
Vremya  he  refers  to  the  fact  that  the  work  of  the  Greek 
Church  has  been  very  little  affected  by  the  war.  There 
have  been  720  baptisms  during  the  past  year,  and  the 
number  of  workers  has  risen  from  188  to  198.^ 

Between  the  years  1871  and  1887  many  new  missions 
were  established  in  Japan,  or  took  the  place  of  others 
resigned  for  various  reasons.  Among  the  earlier  of 
these  missions  was  the  American  Mission  Home,  an 
important  educational  institution  set  on  foot  in  1872 
at  Yokohama  by  the  Women's  Union  Missionary  Society 
of  America  ;  in  1873  the  American  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  the  Methodist  Church  of  Canada,  besides  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  all  com- 
menced work ;  and  in  1874  the  Edinburgh  Medical 
Mission  was  started  and  the  United  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Scotland  sent  out  its  first  missionaries.^ 

Thus  at  the  close  of  1895  there  were  thirty-four 
Christian  Missions  represented  in  Japan;  viz.,  the 
French  Roman  Cathohc  Mission  ;  the  Russian  Orthodox 
Church  Mission  ;  the  American  and  British  Episcopal 
Missions  of  the  Anglican  Communion  ;  the  Missions  of 
the  Canadian  "  Methodist,"  and  the  American  **  Metho- 

1  Taken  from  the  Japan  Daily  Mail,  Dec.  10,  1904.  Sum- 
mary of  the  religious  press. 

2  In  1873  the  American  "  Baptist  Mission  Union  "  took  the 
place  of  the  Baptist  Free  Mission  Society,  one  of  the  first  group 
of  Missionary  Societies  to  arrive  in  1859  ;  and  some  few  years 
later  the  Edinburgh  Medical  Mission  withdrew  from  the  field, 
transferring  its  work  at  Niigata  to  the  American  Board  of  (Con- 
gregational) Missions. 


INTRODUCTORY  ii 

dist  Episcopal  "  Churches  ;  the  Scotch  Presbyterian,  one 
Swiss,  and  one  Scandinavian  non-Episcopal  Mission  ; 
the  remainder  being  American — including  Methodists, 
Baptists,  Congregationalists  and  others — all  non- 
episcopal. 

The  Society  of  Friends,  the  Salvation  Army,  and  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  have  also  their 
Missions  in  Japan. 

This  bewildering  multiplicity  of  Protestant  missions 
has  become,  however,  since  1877  a  good  deal  simplified. 
That  year  is  memorable  as  seeing  a  great  step  towards 
unity  taken  by  the  three  Presbyterian  Missions,  Ameri- 
can and  Scotch,  in  amalgamating  to  form  a  single  church, 
the  "  Nippon  Kirisuto  Kyokwai  "  or  "  Church  of  Christ 
in  Japan,''  based  upon  the  common  Confession  of  Faith 
— the  Apostles'  Creed.^ 

Propositions  also  have  been  made  for  uniting  the  work 
of  the  different  Methodist  Societies,  and  at  one  time  the 
union  of  the  Presbyterian  and  "  Kumiai  "  Congrega- 
tional Churches  came  close  to  completion. 

Mr.  Chamberlain,  in  his  Things  Japanese,^  has  ob- 
served :  "  Numerous  as  are  the  Protestant  bodies  labour- 
ing on  Japanese  soil,  and  widely  as  some  of  them 
differ  in  doctrine,  fairness  requires  it  to  be  stated  that 
they  rarely,  if  ever,  have  made  Japan  the  scene  of 
sectarian  strife.  The  tendency  has  been  rather  to 
minimise  differences,  a  tendency  exemplified  in  the 
amalgamation  of  the  various  Presbyterian  Churches, 
the  proposed  union  of  these  with  the  Congregationalists 
and  the  cementing  influence  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association  work." 

As  regards  the  Anglican  Communion  : — 

1  This  body  embraces  all  the  Christians  (gathered)  in  connexion 
with  the  American  Presbyterian,  Dutch  Reformed,  and  Scotch 
U.P.  Missions. 

2  Things  Japanese,  p.  291,  3rd  ed. 


12  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

An  important  step  towards  co-operation  between  the 
several  Missions  of  the  Anghcan  Communion  was  taken 
in  1878,  when  a  united  conference  of  the  C.M.S.,  the 
S.P.G.,  and  the  "  American  Episcopal  Church  "  Mis- 
sions, under  the  joint  direction  of  Bishops  Williams 
and  Burden,  met  to  discuss  a  basis  of  co-operation  for 
the  bringing  out  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  in 
Japanese.  A  Translation  Committee  was  nominated 
by  the  Bishops,  which  brought  out  the  larger  part  in 
1879,  ^nd  the  rest  in  1882. 

This  notable  achievement  undoubtedly  paved  the 
way  for  the  formation,  in  1887,  in  a  full  synod  com- 
prising both  Japanese  and  foreign  members,  of  one 
Japanese  Church,  the  "  Nippon  Set  Ko  Kwai.''  But 
the  further  history  of  these  and  kindred  matters  more 
rightly  belongs  to  later  chapters. 


CHAPTER  II 

General  Progress  of  Christian  Missions  (1859-87) 

Periods  of    preparation  (1859-73) — Of   popularity  (1873-87) — 
Succeeded  by  a  period  of  reaction. 

I.  "  The  Period  of  Preparation."'— The  years  1859-73, 
i.e.  from  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the  treaty  ports 
to  that  of  the  removal  of  the  edicts,  has  well  been  called 
the  "  Period  of  Preparation."  Preparation  in  language, 
preparation  in  the  translation  of  books,  preparation 
towards  a  better  understanding  between  the  missionaries 
and  their  inquirers — all  this  was  necessary  to  the  laying 
of  a  good  foundation  for  the  future  work. 

During  those  thirteen  or  fourteen  years  the  mis- 
sionaries made  progress  in  the  language,^  and  prepared 
books  to  facilitate  its  study,  amongst  which  should  be 
specially  mentioned  Dr.  Hepburn's  Dictionary.  They 
sold  besides  many  thousand  Chinese  Bibles  and  other 
Christian  books  to  the  educated  classes,  among  whom 

1  The  Japanese  language  has  for  the  Western  learner  two  special 
and  peculiar  difficulties.  The  spoken  language  is  dissimilar  to 
the  written  to  the  extent  that  while  the  common  people  cannot 
understand  the  latter,  the  educated  classes  look  upon  books 
written  in  the  colloquial  as  beneath  their  consideration  and  fit 
only  for  children  and  the  unlearned.  Again,  it  depends  on  the 
standing  of  the  person  addressed — whether  it  be  above  or  below 
the  rank  of  the  speaker — as  to  which  distinct  set  of  verbs  and 
honorific  phrases  be  punctiliously  used  or  as  punctiliously 
dropped  ;  hence  the  knowledge  of  a  double  vocabulary  and  an 
ever  tactful  remembrance  as  to  how  to  use  the  newly  acquired 
learning  is  rigorously  necessary. 

13 


14  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Chinese  was  the  classic  language,  and  they  issued,  as  they 
were  able,  a  few  tracts  in  Japanese.^  Also  a  beginning 
had  been  made  by  a  committee  appointed  by  a  united 
conference  of  Protestant  missionaries  in  1872  in  the 
work  of  the  translation  of  the  New  Testament  into 
Japanese.  The  different  Books  were  pubhshed  as  fast 
as  translated,  and  the  whole  New  Testament  was 
completed  in  1880,  while  the  Old  Testament  was  not 
finished  until  1887. 

Moreover,  medical  and  educational  work,  which  met 
with  a  ready  acceptance  at  the  hands  of  the  Japanese, 
as  tending  to  their  material  advantages,  was  gaining 
for  the  missionaries  a  growing  respect  and  confidence 
among  the  people  they  yearned  to  reach,  and  already  a 
few  isolated  converts  had  been  gained  in  these  early 
years.  In  1872 — nearly  a  year  before  the  withdrawal 
of  the  edicts  against  Christianity — of  these  original 
converts  two  young  men,  with  nine  others,  more  re- 
cently baptized,  were  formed  into  an  organized  body, 
and  called  "  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,"  having  a 
constitution  based  upon  a  single  evangelical  creed. 
This  first  congregation  of  Japanese  Christians  is  now 
one  of  the  many  connected  with  the  present  *'  United 
Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,"  formed  in  1877. 

II.  "  The  Period  of  Popularity." — The  year  1873  marked 
the  commencement  of  a  new  epoch,  or  "  the  period  of 
popularity."  The  edicts  had  been  removed  and,  though 
the  official  Act  had  been  somewhat  equivocal  in  its 


1  The  difficulty  in  getting  these  tracts  adequately  translated  by 
the  aid  of  the  missionaries'  teachers  was  great.  One  missionary 
tells  how  sentence  by  sentence  he  forced  his  reluctant  teacher 
to  use  simpler  words.  "  When  all  was  ready  for  the  press,  the 
teacher  begged  that  his  name  should  not  be  allowed  to  appear 
in  connexion  with  the  tract,  as  he  would  be  ashamed  to  have 
it  known  that  he  had  written  anything  in  a  style  that  could  be 
easily  understood."  (From  Japan  and  its  Regeneration,  by  Rev. 
Otis  Gary,  p.  97.) 


PROGRESS    OF   MISSIONS    (1859-87)         15 

nature,  the  people  saw  that  they  no  longer  needed  to 
regard  Christianity  as  a  prohibited  rehgion.^  Other  in- 
fluences also  tended  to  make  the  official  and  educated 
classes  regard  religion  with  more  favour.  As  the  re- 
sult of  a  strong  desire  to  adopt  Western  customs  and 
ideas,  and  the  growing  curiosity  to  learn  more  of  Western 
sciences,  mechanics,  electric  apparatus,  and  the  other 
branches  of  physical  and  natural  scientific  research  and 
European  customs — rehgions  and  ethics  received  in- 
creased attention.  To  many  Japanese,  the  Christian 
religion  came  to  be  regarded  at  this  period  chiefly  as  a 
means  of  furthering  the  advance  of  civilization  and  of 
bringing  good  to  the  nation.  Christianity  in  their  eyes 
was  merely  a  medium  for  the  production  of  a  constitu- 
tional government  in  place  of  a  medieval — though 
benevolent — oligarchy,  of  popular  rights  in  lieu  of  those 
arising  from  fealty.  Many  of  a  later  generation  would 
to-day  ehminate  from  Christian  religion  and  doctrine  all 
that  goes  beyond  the  attainment  of  virtues  necessary 
for  responsibility  and  good  citizenship.  To  such  an 
extent  did  the  movement  grow  that  in  1884  some  states- 
men and  public  leaders  began  to  urge  that  Christianity 
be  adopted  as  the  national  rehgion,  one  of  them  pro- 
posing that  the  Emperor  should  at  once  receive  baptism. 
Fortunately  this  mushroom  growth  was  prevented  in 
time  by  the  opposition  of  the  Buddhists.     It  was  natural 


1  No  law  was  repealed,  but  the  edicts  concerning  Christianity 
were  removed  from  the  public  notice-boards  along  with  others 
respecting  murder,  arson,  and  robbery.  These  laws  remained 
in  force,  and  the  officials  were  told  to  warn  the  people  against 
supposing  that  'they  were  changed  because  the  notices  were  no 
longer  exhibited.  But  in  spite  of  explanations,  the  people 
began  to  regard  the  law  concerning  persecution  of  Christians  as  a 
dead  letter,  and  the  government,  anxious  to  avoid  offending  the 
Christian  sentiment  of  Western  nations,  was  not  adverse  to  this 
construction  on  its  action  ;  having  saved  its  face,  it  was  the  more 
willing  to  ignore  breaches  of  a  law  now  less  conspicuous  (see 
Japan  and  its  Regeneration,  p.  81). 


i6  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

that  they,  having  lost  the  support  of  the  government 
(1871-4),  should  resent  a  religion  which  through  its  teach- 
ers that  threatened  to  supplant  them  in  their  lessening  in- 
fluence, as  such  was  exhibited  by  their  enfeebled  hold 
over  the  popular  faith  of  the  people.  Christianity  was 
denounced,  and  in  some  places  churches  and  the  houses 
of  Christians  were  stoned,  while  preachers  were  occasion- 
ally assaulted.  Buddhist  priests  formed  societies  for 
the  "  boycotting "  of  everything  Christian,  even  to 
foreign  goods — as  in  one  instance  to  kerosene  oil ! 
What  was  more  to  the  purpose,  strenuous  efforts  were 
made  by  Buddhists  in  the  political  arena  to  thwart  the 
nomination  and  election  of  Christian  members  for  Par- 
liament. Not  by  opposition  only,  but  by  the  better 
way  of  imitation  of  Christian  institutions,  did  Buddhism 
seek  to  hold  her  own  against  Christianity ;  schools  for 
young  men,  schools  for  girls  (unmindful  of  their  low 
estimate  previously  put  on  women),  women's  meetings, 
orphanages,  temperance  societies,  summer  schools,  etc., 
were  started  and  became  items  of  organization  in  the 
Buddhist  propaganda.  Just  as  Christianity  in  its 
first  youth  had  stirred  in  the  reign  of  Julian  the  embers 
of  a  dying  paganism  to  a  fresh  blaze,  so  now  Buddhism, 
all  but  dead  in  Japan,  seemed  to  take  on  a  new  lease  of 
life.  The  result  was  not  really  detrimental  to  the 
progress  of  Christian  work,  for  nothing,  even  though 
misdirected,  that  will  give  renewed  zeal  for  the  good  of 
humanity  in  any  shape  can  be  profitless.  And  as 
regards  the  direct  work  of  Christian  evangelization, 
the  hearts  awakened  to  religious  sensibility  have 
been  found  more  responsive  to  the  reading  of  God's 
Word  than  those  which  are  still  sunk  in  the  slumber 
of  lethargy,  through  disbelief  by  the  agnosticism  of 
Japan's    modern    Confucius — Herbert    Spencer. 

HI.  The  Reaction. — The  great  movement  in  favour  of 
Christianity  reached  its  height  about  the  year  1888. 


PROGRESS   OF   MISSIONS  (1859-87)         17 

Soon  after  came  a  reaction  that  lasted  for  quite  ten  years 
before  it  spent  itself,  the  more  immediate  causes  being 
(i)  the  birth  of  a  strong  nationalistic  spirit  and  anti- 
foreign  sentiment,  (2)  the  shaking  of  the  newly  acquired 
Christian  doctrines,  and  (3)  the  growth  of  a  commercial 
spirit. 

(i)  The  lengthened  and  wearying  attempts  to  revise 
and  curtail  the  treaty-rights  of  foreigners  and  other  un- 
toward events  caused  irritation  against  all  things  foreign, 
including  the  "  Western  rehgion."  Christianity  must 
take  on  a  Japanese  form  if  it  would  claim  her  adherence. 

(2)  Another  disturbing  and  reactionary  influence 
came  from  the  shaking  of  doctrinal  behefs.  Many  of 
the  young  men  of  Japan  who  had  travelled  and  studied 
both  in  Europe  and  America  returned  somewhat  better 
educated  and  imbued  with  modern  thought.  These 
Japanese,  too  often  affected  by  the  theological  unrest 
of  the  present  day,  and  especially  by  the  Unitarianism  of 
America,  became — many  of  them — teachers  of  their 
countrymen.  From  the  West  they  had  accepted,  but 
ill-digested,  the  (apparently)  novel  theological  theories 
of  the  day,  and  they  found,  through  the  prevailing  de- 
sire of  independence  of  former  teachers  at  home,  ready 
listeners  among  their  Japanese  compatriots,  always  too 
apt  to  take  up  with  something  new.  Views  and  criti- 
cisms that  might  have  done  little  harm  in  communities 
that  had  long  been  instructed  in  Christian  doctrines 
assumed  an  exaggerated  importance  and  led  many  to 
give  up  apparently  all  their  early  faith. 

(3)  A  third  influence  now  beginning  to  make  itself 
felt  was  the  growth  of  the  commercial  spirit.  The  won- 
derful increase  in  trade  and  manufactures,  after  the 
straitened  times  of  the  Revolution  and  succeeding  days, 
had  its  influence  on  all  classes.  A  desire  to  make  money 
and  the  claims  of  business  caused  some  members  of 
Christian  Churches  to  absent  themselves  from  worship 

G 


i8  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

and  to  be  careless  of  Christian  duties,  or  to  act  incon- 
sistently with  Christian  standards  of  morality. 

Owing  to  such  influences  during  this  period  of  re- 
action, a  few  measures  of  direct  opposition  were  taken 
by  those  in  local  authority,  measures  quite  at  variance 
with  the  spirit  and  even  perhaps  with  the  letter  of  the 
new  Constitution  of  Japan,  promulgated  in  1889.  Ac- 
cording to  one  article,  "  Japanese  subjects  shall,  within 
limits  not  prejudicial  to  peace  and  order,  and  not  anta- 
gonistic to  their  duties  as  subjects,  enjoy  freedom  of 
rehgious  belief."  This  article  has  greatly  strengthened 
the  position  of  the  Christians,  but  its  spirit  has  not 
always  been  consistently  observed  by  those  in  authority. 
Sometimes  local  officials,  as  commanders  of  garrisons 
and  teachers  of  public  schools,  made  it  difficult  for 
Christian  soldiers  or  Christian  students  to  attend  ser- 
vices, meetings,  or  Sunday  schools,  and  visited  their 
displeasure  severely  upon  those  who  did.  Such  bigotry 
is  rarely  to  be  met  with  now.  For  many  years  also 
an  educational  system  professedly  secular,  and  with- 
holding privileges  from  private  schools  in  which  religion, 
Christian  or  Buddhist,  is  taught,  tended  to  hinder 
Christian  progress  ;  Christian  ethics,  said  they,  were 
not  in  harmony  with  the  Imperial  edict  on  education  of 
1890,  which  laid  stress  upon  filial  obedience,  nor — as 
pointed  out  by  the  leaders  of  a  revived  and  modified 
Shintoism  inaugurated  in  1897 — could  the  Christian 
doctrine  of  the  worship  of  God  and  Christ,  and  the 
various  authorities  obeyed  by  Christians  as  the  Bible, 
the  Pope,  or  the  head  of  the  Greek  Church  (the  Czar) 
be  held  consistently  with  the  supreme  duty  of  loyal 
Japanese  to  his  sacred  Majesty  the  Emperor.  It  was 
asked — Was  the  Mikado  of  Japan  "  to  follow  in  the 
wake  of  Western  Emperors  and  to  pray,  *  Son  of  God, 
have  mercy  upon  me  '  ?  " 

And  yet  through  all  this  time  of  reaction,  progress 


PROGRESS    OF   MISSIONS  (1859-87)         19 

was  made.  The  sifting  process  had  its  advantages. 
What  shook  the  faith  of  some  made  that  of  others 
stronger  and  more  intelHgent.  The  need  of  greater 
care  in  admitting  persons  to  Church  membership  was 
made  plain.  If  in  later  years  it  has  been  less  easy  to 
get  people  to  attend  preaching  services,  Christian  ideas 
and  ideals  have  more  and  more  found  their  way  into  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  The  secular  periodicals  show  by 
their  frequent  use  of  Christian  phrases,  and  even  of 
Biblical  quotations,  that  new  thoughts  are  influencing 
the  minds  of  men.  Knowledge  of  Western  laws  and 
Western  literature  has  been  famiharising  educated 
people  with  new  ways  of  regarding  the  universe  and 
mankind.  Almost  unconsciously  to  many  has  come 
an  unacknowledged  belief  in  one  God  Who  rules  the 
world,  and  toward  WTiom  they  have  duties. 

The  conduct  of  the  present  war,  and  of  the  previous 
negotiations,  has  shown  to  the  world  that  the  Japanese 
not  only  possess  dignity  and  natural  manliness,  but 
other  virtues  superadded  through  the  influence,  direct 
or  indirect,  of  Christian  ideals.  The  labours  of  mission- 
aries through  these  years  have  had  some  share  in  bring- 
ing about  this  development  in  character.  Though  the 
conversion  of  the  unbeliever  is  the  aim  of  all  missionary 
effort,  the  result  of  efforts  cannot  be  rightly  appraised 
solely  by  the  counting  of  converts  ;  their  indirect  in- 
fluence upon  the  life  of  a  nation  has  results  far  away 
and  beyond  that  which  can  be  calculated  by  the  numbers 
of  declared  converts. 

In  speaking  of  this  period  of  reaction,  we  come  to 
the  episcopate  of  Bishop  Bickersteth,  which  will  be 
described  in  another  chapter.  But  it  is  well  to  under- 
stand a  little,  beforehand,  the  causes  of  the  reactionary 
period,  its  character,  and  tendency,  that  we  may  more 
fully  appreciate  his  work  in  Japan,  and  the  opportune- 
ness of  that  work.     Coming  to  the  country  in  1886,  when 


20  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

there  was  a  passing  wave  of  popularity  in  favour  of 
Christianity,  Bishop  Bickersteth  saw,  amongst  other 
dangers,  that  of  Christian  sectarianism.  He  saw  that 
the  safeguard  for  her  Christianity,  as  it  has  been  for  that 
of  other  nations  throughout  Christian  history,  could 
alone  be  a  whole-sided  Catholicism — real,  broad,  and 
deep.  Then  indeed,  though  she  might  have  to  learn  of 
the  Truth,  as  individuals  and  nations  alike  do,  slowly, 
she  would  yet  attain  surely.  Bishop  Bickersteth's  work 
was  arduous,  and  exhausted  his  physical  powers,  but 
his  devotion  and  zeal,  at  once  fervent  and  well  balanced, 
obtained  for  the  Sei  Kokwai  of  Japan  a  "  heritage  "  ^ 
that  her  sons  will  ever  regard  as  a  gift  in  a  special  sense 
from  him. 


1  Bishop  Bickersteth's  Addresses  to  Japanese  Divinity 
Students,  published  in  Japanese  in  Japan,  were  reprinted  in 
English,  and  published  in  England  (1898),  after  his  death,  under 
the  title  of  Our  Heritage  in  the  Church. 


CHAPTER    III 

Bishop  Bickersteth's  Episcopate  (1886-97) 

Second  English  Missionary-Bishop  to  Japan — His  realization  of 
the  circumstances  in  Japan,  and  their  tendencies — The  need 
for  a  "  Japanese  Church  " — "  The  greatness  of  the  oppor- 
tunity " — Dangers  to  be  avoided — Proper  nature  of  a  Church 
in  Japan — Formation  of  the  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai — First 
Conferences  and  Synod — Subsequent  endeavour  after  larger 
unity. 

Consecrated  in  February,  1886,  at  St.  Paul's  Cathedral, 
by  Archbishop  Benson,  as  Missionary-Bishop  of  the 
Church  of  England  in  Japan,  Bishop  Bickers teth  arrived 
at  Nagasaki  on  April  13  of  that  year. 

Prior  to  1882  the  two  "  Church  of  England  "  Missions 
for  Japan  were  under  the  supervision  of  Bishop  Burdon, 
of  Victoria,  Hongkong.  In  that  year  Archbishop  Tait 
arranged  for  the  foundation  of  an  English  bishopric  in 
Japan,  the  C.M.S.  and  the  S.P.G.  undertaking  to  con- 
tribute to  its  maintenance.  The  Rev.  A.  W.  Poole, 
C.M.S.  missionary  in  South  India,  was  appointed  and 
consecrated  by  Archbishop  Benson  in  1883.  Bishop 
Poole  was  warmly  welcomed  in  Japan,  but,  owing  to  the 
failure  of  his  health,  his  episcopate  was  brief.  Within  ten 
months  of  arrival  in  the  country  he  had  to  leave,  and 
died  in  England  in  1885.  He  was  succeeded  by  Bishop 
Edward  Bickersteth,  son  of  the  well-known  Bishop  of 
Exeter,  and  grandson  of  a  former  C.M.S.  secretary.  As 
founder  and  first  head  of  the  Cambridge  University 
Mission  at  Delhi,  North  India,  he  had  been  for  five  years 

21 


22  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

connected  with  the  S.P.G.  Consequently  the  newly 
appointed  bishop  came  to  Japan  with  the  experience 
of  a  missionary  in  touch  with  the  great  English  Mission 
Societies. 

In  a  letter  written  on  his  way  out,  Bishop  Bickersteth 
notes  the  many  circumstances  in  Japan  that  called  for 
more  organised  missionary  effort,  and  gave  promise  (as 
explained  in  another  letter  i)  of  a  prospect  as  bright  as 
any  which  had  been  ever  set  before  the  missionary. 

He  notes  her  acquirement,  with  "  startling  rapidity, 
of  European  methods  and  customs,  and  the  adoption  of 
the  latest  discoveries  of  the  West."  Railways,  steamers, 
telegraphs,  telephones,  post-offices,  and  P.O.  savings 
banks ;  English  methods  of  municipal  and  executive 
government ;  and,  lastly,  a  widespread  system  of  educa- 
tion, 2  based  upon  European  methods,  in  which  English 
was  taught  as  a  classic — all  had  been  "  introduced 
within  the  space  of  less  than  two  decades  into  a  country 
wholly  unknown  to  the  last  generation  of  English- 
men." 

In  the  same  letter  Bishop  Bickersteth  speaks  of  the 
changes  (mentioned  in  the  previous  chapter)  in  public 
opinion  that  accompanied  this  eager  advance,  and  made 
for  an  anti-foreign  movement.  Revived  energy  on  the 
part  of  the  Buddhist  priesthood  to  maintain  their  hold 
upon  the  people  coincided  with  a  growing  tendency 
"  in  the  mind  of  the  young  Japanese — disabused  of  the 
superstitions  of  his  youth — to  regard  the  creed  of 
Christendom  as  practically  on  a  level  with  the  faith 
of  his  own  country  " — and  to  reject  both.  This  re- 
action lasting  for  something  over  ten  years,  amounted 
at  one  time  to  a  distaste  for  any  foreign  influence,  or 
leadership   whatsoever.     "  Japan   for   the   Japanese " 

1  Letter  to  Dr.  Searle,  August,  1886,  quoted  from  Life  and 
Letters,  etc. 

2  29,000  schools  were  built  and  opened  between  1873  and  1883. 


BICKERSTETH'S    EPISCOPATE  (1886-97)     23 

became  the  popular  cry.  Along  with  others  Bishop 
Bickersteth  saw  that  the  special  danger  to  the  Church 
of  this  transition  time  arose  from  a  desire  for  a  larger 
corporate  union  at  the  expense  of  the  principles  of  true 
unity.  The  fear  was  lest  the  Japanese  should  adopt — 
after  their  eclectic  fashion — an  emasculated  form  of 
Christianity,  and  that  the  lack  of  co-operation  and 
cohesion  on  the  part  of  our  Church's  missions  might 
aid  in  this  result.  In  the  face  of  this  danger  the  differ- 
ent Presbyterian  bodies  already  had  joined  together 
and  the  Congregationalists  were  showing  signs  of 
amalgamation.  A  recognised  need  is  an  opportunity 
for  reform,  and,  in  the  eloquent  words  of  Bishop  West- 
cott,  Bishop  Bickersteth  "  at  once  recognized  the 
greatness  of  the  unique  opportunity,"  for  the  union  of 
the  Anglican  Missions  in  Japan.  Might  not  the  several 
Missions  of  the  Episcopal  Churches  of  England  and 
America  combine  more  closely  their  work  in  Japan  and 
build  up  together  a  Native  Church,  at  once  orthodox, 
catholic,  and  evangelical  ? 

Though  it  was  well,  as  he  said,  for  a  newly  founded 
Church  "  to  pass  as  quickly  as  possible  through  the 
congregational  stage,"  ^  there  were  difficulties  first  to 
overcome,  mistakes  and  dangers  to  avoid.  There  had 
to  be  no  planting  of  a  new  Church — a  new  branch  had 
already  germinated  and  needed  only  wise  husbandry. 
It  would  be  most  unwise  on  the  one  hand  to  overlook, 
in  excessive  zeal  for  union,  the  existence  of  differing 
schools  of  thought  within  the  Missions  of  the  Anglican 
communion,  in  so  far  as  these  were  complementary 
to  one  another  and  consistent  with  the  real  unity  of  the 
Faith.  On  the  other  hand — in  regard  to  the  native 
congregations — the  mistake  would  be  fatal  if  they  sought 
to  impose  an  exact  reproduction  of  Western  Canons 

1  Speech,  Birmingham  Church  Congress,  1893,  quoted  in  Life 
and  Letters,  etc.,  p.  176.  Second  Edition. 


24  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

and  Articles  upon  Eastern  minds.  It  must  be  "a 
Japanese  Church,"  not  an  English  Church.  Any  for- 
getfulness  of  this,  any  aiming  at  a  different  end,  will 
only  reproduce  in  the  next  200  years  the  miseries  which 
have  arisen  from  the  Italian  Church,  in  the  days  of  her 
prosperity,  having  determined  to  be  the  Church  of  other 
lands. ^  Speaking  to  the  Rev.  J.  T.  Imai,  one  of  the 
foremost  of  the  Japanese  clergy,  on  the  morning 
after  his  arrival  in  Tokyo,  Bishop  Bickersteth  said  : 
"  The  Church  of  Japan  must  be  the  Church  of 
Japan ;  the  Prayer  Book  of  that  Church  must  be 
really  its  own  Prayer  Book."  2  Again,  "  Japan  will 
adapt  no  mere  Western  type  of  the  faith  ;  and  although 
receiving,  as  is  necessary,  the  framework  of  the  Church 
from  abroad,  will  complete  her  ecclesiastical  organization 
on  her  own  lines."  "  '  We  are  glad  of  teachers,'  it 
was  said  by  one  of  her  own  sons  ;  '  we  require  no 
masters.'  "  ^ 

The  title  chosen  was  a  bold  one  ;  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai. 
"  Sei "  means  "  Holy,"  lit.  clean  ;  "Ko  means  "general" 
or  "  universal,"  and  "  kwai  "  means  "  society  "or  "  com- 
pany." Thus  the  whole  title  may  be  said  to  correspond  to 
the  expression  in  the  Apostles' Creed,  "The  Holy  Catholic 
Church."  The  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai  was  to  be  a  native 
Church,  not  in  any  loose  nor  attenuated  meaning  of 
the  phrase,  but,'as  asserting  its-  historic  position  side  by 
side  with  the  Roman  and  Greek  Churches  in  the  country, 
it  was  to  be  a  true  "  Ecclesia  "  rather  than  an  aggrega- 
tion of  Missions,  and  at  the  same  time  national. 

From  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  Japan,  in  April,  1886, 
Bishop  Bickersteth  laboured  to  draw  together  the  more 
or   less   separate   Anglican   Missions   into   one   strong 

1  Letter  to  him  from  Archbishop  Benson,  August,  1886, 
quoted  in  Life  and  Letters,  etc.,  p.  251. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  249. 

3  Ibid.,  p.  253. 


BICKERSTETH'S    EPISCOPATE  (1886-97)     25 

native,  Holy,  and  Catholic  Church.  And  it  was  with 
special  joy  that  the  Bishop  welcomed  the  evidence  of 
the  same  aspirations  on  the  part  of  some  at  least  of  his 
fellow  workers,  as  given  in  a  resolution  proposed  and 
carried  "  in  conjunction  with  his  American  brother 
in  the  episcopate." 

This  was  in  the  following  conference  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  held  at  Osaka  in  May,  where  the 
preliminary  step  was  taken  that  within  a  year  brought 
about  the  full  organization  of  the  Sei  Kokwai.  This 
conference  passed  the  resolution  : — 

*'  That,  taking  into  consideration  the  existence  of 
three  episcopal  Missions  in  this  country,  two  of  which 
are  in  connexion  with  the  Church  of  England  and  one 
with  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  x\merica,  and 
being  convinced  that  co-operation  between  these  three 
societies,  and  visible  union  among  the  native  Christians 
connected  with  them,  is  necessary  to  the  establishment 
of  a  strong  episcopal  Church  and  a  necessary  preliminary 
to  any  wider  union  of  Christians  in  Japan  on  a  per- 
manent and  satisfactory  basis  ;  and  further,  noting  that 
for  some  time  past  united  action  has  existed  among 
the  various  sections  of  non-episcopal  communities,  to 
the  manifest  increase  of  their  strength  and  influence, 
and  that  efforts  are  now  being  made,  specially  by  the 
native  Christians,  towards  unity  among  the  different 
communities  themselves — the  annual  conference  of 
the  C.M.S.,  now  sitting  in  Osaka,  wishes  to  suggest  to 
the  bishops  and  clergy  of  the  American  Church  and  the 
clergy  of  the  S. P. G.  the  desirability  of  holding  a  general 
conference  of  the  three  Missions  on  this  subject  at  an 
early  date." 

Bishop  Williams  of  the  American  Church  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  in  May  a  second  step  towards  con- 
federation was  taken  by  a  meeting  of  the  English  (C.M.S. 


26  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

and  S.P.G.)  and  American  Missions,  at  which  Bishop 
WiUiams  presided,  and  a  resolution  passed  to  hold  a 
conference  of  delegates  in  July,  each  society  sending  its 
own  representatives.  Bishop  Bickers teth  at  once  set 
to  work  in  conjunction  with  Bishop  Williams  to  draft 
Canons  in  order  to  submit  a  scheme  to  the  forthcoming 
conference.  In  this  he  balanced  carefully  the  claims  of 
ancient  precedents,  and  the  decisions  of  the  early  Councils 
of  the  Church,  with  the  more  recent  Canons  of  the 
American  and  New  Zealand  Churches  as  representative 
of  latter-day  needs.  He  also  referred  the  matter  to 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  (Dr.  Benson),  who,  while 
cautioning  against  undue  haste,  was  equally  anxious  for 
the  building  up  of  a  native  Church.  The  delegates  in 
the  conference  were  met — as  the  Bishop  said — not  "  to 
constitute  a  new  Church  for  our  native  brethren  in  the 
faith — there  (had)  been  already  formed  (in  the  country) 
a  Christian  Church  "  ;  that  Church  existed,  but  as  yet 
it  was  not  organized  as  an  entity  separate  from  the  parent 
Churches  of  her  communion.  It  was  now  desirable  to 
provide  the  fuller  organization  of  a  Church  and  to  con- 
stitute a  formal  synod.  The  discussions  upon  the  pro- 
posed synod  and  code  of  Canons  drawn  up  in  conjunc- 
tion with  Bishop  Williams  proved  "  most  harmonious," 
everybody,  writes  Bishop  Bickersteth,  trying  to  contribute 
rather  than  to  oppose,  to  "  build  "  rather  than  to  "  over- 
throw." A  general  conference  was  then  resolved  upon 
for  February  of  the  following  year.  This  united  con- 
ference of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  America 
and  of  the  Church  of  England  took  place  on  February  8, 
1887,  and  preceded  the  first  synod  of  the  Japanese 
Church  at  Osaka.  Its  result  was  important ;  the  mem- 
bers accepted  the  Articles,  so  that  no  present  difficulty 
might  arise  as  to  the  Church  of  England  basis,  and  de- 
layed the  consideration  of  the  more  important  Canons  for 
two  years.     A  letter  from  the  Bishop  testified  to  the 


BICKERSTETH'S    EPISCOPATE    (1886-97)    27 

hearty  co-operation  of  all  concerned ;  the  C.M.S.  mis- 
sionaries passed  a  unanimous  vote  of  satisfaction ;  those 
of  the  S.P.G.  were  "  pleased/'  and  the  Japanese  were 
**  delighted  at  having  done  the  thing  with  us." 

Nor  did  this  first  year  of  the  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai  as 
a  self-organized  Christian  Church  go  by  without  a 
definite  effort  being  made  to  "  include "  within  its 
communion  "  as  many  as  possible  of  the  Christians  of 
this  country  "  ;  this  was  in  accordance  with  a  resolution 
passed  at  the  united  conference  of  Anglican  Missions, 
held  as  above  stated.  After  a  preliminary  meeting  in 
July,  a  series  of  conferences  with  the  American  Metho- 
dist missionaries  followed  during  the  advent  of  the 
same  year,  and  were  conducted  in  a  candid  but  charit- 
able spirit  for  the  discussion  of  a  basis  of  union.  A 
fundamental  agreement  in  regard  to  creed,  rite,  and 
organization  was  considered  by  Bishop  Bickers teth  to 
be  necessary.  The  limitation — of  acceptance  of  the 
Scriptures  as  authority  and  the  Nicene  Creed  as  standard 
in  doctrine ;  of  the  rigid  adherence,  "  without  doctrinal 
explanation  of  the  spiritual  mystery"  "to  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  sacraments  in  the  forms  which  the 
Lord  appointed,"  and  of  the  maintenance  of  the  three- 
fold ministry,  and  the  Apostolic  succession — proved 
insurmountable  difficulties  ;  yet  these  conferences  were 
not  "  without  fruit,"  as  was  pointed  out  by  the  late 
Archdeacon  Shaw  in  an  address  given  at  Karuizawa 
shortly  after  Bishop  Bickersteth's  death  in  August, 
1897.  "  The  attempt  was  perhaps  premature — in 
Japan — but  no  one  can  believe  that  such  efforts,  made 
by  such  men,  are  altogether  in  vain  or  without  effect  in 
hastening  the  coming  of  that  day  when  '  there  shall  be 
one  fold,'  as  there  is  '  One  Shepherd.' 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  Building  up  of  the  Sei  Kokwai 
(bishop  bickersteth's  episcopate  {continued) 

The  framing  of  the  Constitution  and  Canons  of  theN.S.K. — 
Revision  of  Japanese  Prayer  Book — Decision  as  to  the 
Thirty-nine  Articles — The  Marriage  laws — Minor  measures — 
Extension  of  the  episcopate — Canadian  missions. 

The  framing  of  the  Constitution  and  Canons  of  the  Sei 
Kokwai  was  the  work,  for  the  most  part,  of  the  first 
synod  of  the  Church  sitting  in  February,  1887 ;  but 
though  the  Canons  thus  resolved  upon  have  in  the  main 
been  retained,  they  have  since  received  certain  amend- 
ments and  considerable  additions. 

Archbishop  Benson  was  at  the  first  somewhat  afraid 
lest  Bishop  Bickersteth's  enthusiastic  spirit  might  lead 
him  to  push  forward  too  rapidly  the  work  of  framing 
the  Canons ;  but  Bishop  Bickersteth  and  his  co -leaders 
of  the  infant  Church  knew  well  the  danger  that  would 
wait  upon  ecclesiastical  delay.  The  Bishop's  sermons 
and  addresses  show  that  he  did  not  act  precipitately, 
but  felt  at  every  turn  the  necessity  of  anticipating  and 
providing  against  future  dangers.  The  smooth  working 
of  the  general  synods  (at  first  held  biennially  and  now 
made  triennial)  since  the  first  year  of  his  episcopate  have 
shown  the  wisdom  of  his  policy,  and  were  in  themselves 
the  reward  of  his  unresting  toil  on  the  Church's  behalf. 

According  to  the  Articles  of  its  Constitution  the  Nippon 
Sei  Kokwai  "  receives  "  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and 

28 


BUILDING    UP   OF   THE    SEI    KoKWAI      29 

New  Testament,  "  believes  "  them  to  be  ''  a  revelation  of 
God,  and  to  contain  all  things  necessary  to  salvation," 
and  acknowledges  "  the  Faith  contained  in  the  Nicene 
and  the  Apostles'  Creeds  "  ;  by  Articles  III  and  IV  it 
"  sets  forth  the  doctrine  which  Christ  our  Lord  com- 
manded, administers  the  two  Sacraments  of  Baptism 
and  Holy  Communion  which  He  Himself  ordained, 
carries  out  His  discipline,"  and  "  maintains  the  three 
orders  of  Bishop,  Priest,  and  Deacon,  which  have  been 
transmitted  from  the  time  of  the  Apostles." 

Further,  by  a  resolution  of  the  first  synod  in  1887, 
the  Thirty-nine  A^^'cles  of  the  Church  of  England  were 
accepted  provisionally,  but  their  position  was  not  de- 
termined. They  have  since  been  carefully  re-translated, 
and  in  this  form  have  been  again  accepted  by  the 
synod  among  the  standards  of  teaching,  but  not  as  part 
of  the  Prayer  Book.  For  the  first  few  years  the  great 
questions  before  the  synods  were  the  revision  of  the 
Japanese  Prayer  Book  and  the  Canon  law  on  marriage. 
The  much-needed  matter  of  Prayer  Book  revision  was 
delegated  by  the  synod  of  1889  ^^  two  committees,  one 
dealing  with  translation,  the  other  with  structural  de- 
tails. It  occupied  six  years  of  anxious  work,  and  was 
not  issued  until  September  of  1895.  With  regard  to 
the  marriage  laws  of  the  Church,  the  framing  of  the 
Canon  concerning  them  was  deferred  by  the  first  synod 
for  further  consideration  ;  it  has  been  debated  at  each 
successive  synod,  and  in  the  synod  of  1902  the  first  part 
of  a  Canon  was  enacted  whilst  the  most  debatable 
topics  were  referred  to  a  committee  to  be  brought  up 
again  in  1905.  Meantime  each  bishop  administers  the 
marriage  law  of  the  Church  according  to  the  English 
or  American  Church  Canons  on  the  subject. 

The  Revision  of  the  Japanese  Prayer  Book,  based  as 
that  is  upon  the  English  and  American  Books,  took  the 
line  of  filling  in  omissions  from  the  American  Book,  and 


30  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

adding  from  the  English  Book  such  details  of  service 
as  had  been  retained  by  the  English,  but  lost  by  the 
American  Book.  It  was  natural  that  with  missionaries 
inheriting  two  slightly  different  liturgies,  some  variance 
in  opinion  should  arise ;  but  their  differences  generally 
followed  the  divergence  of  theological  views  rather  than 
of  nationality.  The  result  on  the  whole  has  been  a  gain 
in  liturgical  richness  for  the  Japanese  Prayer  Book. 

Bishop  Bickersteth  referred  in  successive  pastorals 
(1890--95)  to  the  work  of  revision,  setting  forth  the 
principles  on  which  the  work  should  proceed,  noting 
its  progress,  and  regretting  the  few  things  not  then 
accomplished.  The  Bishop  was  anxious  to  limit  the 
principles  of  revision  to  "  necessary  curtailments  and 
additions,"  "  to  points  of  order  and  detail,"  not  to  the 
"  substance  and  fabric  of  the  work."  He  counselled 
the  Japanese  to  revise  rather  than  to  remodel,  for 
though  the  brief  collects  and  suffrages  of  Western 
growth  might  be  "  less  consonant  to  the  genius  "  of 
the  Japanese  language,  yet  it  was  too  soon  for  Japanese 
liturgical  knowledge  and  skill  to  recast  the  Prayer  Book 
into  a  new  liturgy  more  suited  to  them.  Neither  could 
the  foreign  clergy  serving  the  Japanese  Church  so  break 
their  canonical  obligations.  The  lesser  matters  of 
forming  in  the  Japanese  language  a  suitable  theo- 
logical terminology  for  the  liturgy  before  them,  the 
preparation  of  minor  offices  and  the  consideration  of 
certain  subordinate  differences  in  the  two  Eucharistic 
offices  from  which  their  own  was  drawn,  would  suffi- 
ciently occupy  their  attention. 

In  September,  1895,  the  revised  Prayer  Book  was 
issued,  accompanied  by  a  joint  pastoral  from  the  bishops 
in  Japan.  The  incorporation  into  the  Office  of  Holy 
Communion  of  the  American  Prayer  of  Consecration  as 
an  alternative  form,  the  restoration  of  a  form  of  absolu- 
tion to  the  Visitation  of  the  Sick,  and  the  addition  of 


BUILDING    UP   OF   THE    SEI    KOKWAI     31 

some  excellent  occasional  prayers,  chiefly  from  the  re- 
vised American  Prayer  Book,  were  among  the  more  im- 
portant improvements.  On  the  other  hand,  there  were 
two  omissions — that  of  the  Apocrypha  from  her  lection- 
ary  and  of  a  direction  for  the  use  of  the  daily  Office  by  the 
clergy  prefixed  to  the  Order  for  Morning  and  Evening 
Prayer.  These  omissions  were  deeply  regretted  by 
Bishop  Bickersteth  ;  the  Apocrypha  on  the  ground  that 
''  the  Japanese  Church  had  as  yet  no  adequate  knowledge 
to  enable  its  representatives  to  form  an  independent 
judgment  on  its  use,"  and  the  implied  permission 
for  her  clergy  to  omit  the  use  of  the  daily  Office, 
because  he  held  that  "  the  standard  of  religion  would 
never  have  been  depressed  as  it  was  in  England  in  the 
last  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  if  the  Church's  rule 
in  the  matter  had  not  been  so  widely  neglected,"  and 
her  "  recovery  of  the  practice  "  had,  he  thought,  "  ac- 
companied and  largel}^  contributed  to  the  present 
happier  state  of  things." 

The  debates  in  successive  synods  with  regard  to  the 
marriage  laws  have  chiefly  turned  on  the  following 
questions  : — 

(i)  The  relation  of  the  marriage  service  to  the  legal 
registration  of  marriage  (that  the  latter  must  precede 
the  former  was  carried  in  1902.) 

(2)  The  prohibited  degrees  :  marriage  with  a  deceased 
wife's  sister. 

(3)  The  nature  of  divorce. 

The  difficulties  have  not  been  Japanese  in  origin,  but 
are  the  same  fundamental  difficulties  that  are  found 
dividing  English  and  American  Churchmen  to-day. 
The  stricter  party  has  perhaps  been  in  a  minority  in  the 
synod  all  through,  but  it  has  been  the  more  uncom- 
promising and  has  known  its  own  mind  better.  Each 
synod  has  shown  itself  better  instructed  than  the  pre- 
ceding, and  the  tendency  consequently  is  now  in  favour 


32  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

of  a  stricter  Canon  than  could  have  been  passed  ten 
or  twelve  years  ago. 

Some  reference  to  Japanese  social  customs  and  ideas 
in  relation  to  marriage  may  interest  the  reader  as  show- 
ing how  such  customs  in  the  minds  of  the  native  Chris- 
tians tend  to  complicate  the  situation  and  render  more 
difficult  any  agreement  upon  a  Canon. 

One  great  difficulty  may  perhaps  be  broadly  stated 
thus,  that  whereas  marriage  in  the  West  generally  takes 
place  from  motives  of  personal  happiness  or  of  indi- 
vidual self-interest — seldom  from  that  of  the  happiness, 
the  well-being,  or  the  interest  of  the  family  and  con- 
nexions— in  Japan  (where,  owing  to  the  inheritance  of 
Confucian  philosophy  and  ethics,  the  family  is  every- 
thing, the  individual  nothing)  marriage  is  entered  upon 
and  divorce  allowable,  from  quite  another  set  of  motives 
and  ethical  ideas. 

The  family  is  the  social  unit  in  Japan.  Its  individual 
members  are  the  possessions  of  the  family,  or  clan,  to  be 
disposed  of  for  its  well-being  by  the  guardians  or  heads 
who,  as  trustees,  are  responsible  for  its  honour. 

As  it  is  a  law  of  the  land  that  no  family,  once  regis- 
tered, be  allowed  to  die  out,  each  family  must  have  its 
heir.  The  "  elder  brother  "  even  of  a  humble  household 
has  duties  analogous  to  those  of  the  heir-apparent  to  a 
powerful  dynasty.  He  enters  into  marriage  as  assuming 
a  responsibility  incumbent  upon  him  as  the  heir.  His 
wife  is  usually  the  choice  of  the  family.  If  she  turn  out 
unsuitable  for  the  purposes  of  her  position,  if  she  fail  to 
give  him  children  and  heirs  then  his  duty  to  his 
House  may  require  him  to  divorce  his  wife,  and  to 
make  a  second  trial  for  the  sake  of  the  family,  or 
he  may  not  always  take  such  extreme  measures,  but 
adopt  as  a  son  and  heir  one  of  his  relatives  or  any  other 
suitable  person.  But  an  heir  somehow  or  other  he  must 
have  to  whom  to  pass  on  the  family  name  and  entity. 


BUILDING    UP    OF   THE   SEI    KOKWAI     33 

The  case  is  somewhat  different  if  the  head  of  the  house 
has  no  son,  but  has  daughters  ;  he  can  then  marry  one 
to  a  man  whom  he  adopts  as  his  heir,  and  who  changes 
his  name  and  sinks  his  identity  into  that  of  his  wife's 
House.  And  here  comes  in  a  frequent  cause  of  divorce, 
when  the  heiress  (daughter  or  niece)  of  a  man  of  position 
or  wealth  is  married  to  an  adopted  son.  The  son-in- 
law  may  become  tired  of  a  position  which  is  in  a  sense 
subordinate,  or  he  may  prove  extravagant,  or  in  other 
ways  undesirable  as  heir  to  the  family's  name  and 
traditions.  But  with  divorce  in  Japan  as  an  easy 
solution  of  the  difficulty,  the  daughter  is  either  re- 
married to  a  more  ehgible  man,  or  her  own  right  as 
heiress  is  passed  over  in  favour  of  a  younger  sister, 
who,  in  her  turn,  marries  another  adopted  son-in-law. 
In  this  latter  case,  however,  the  disinherited  elder 
daughter  (or  niece)  may  not  keep  her  husband  ;  his 
divorce  from  her  is  necessary,  for  otherwise  he  would 
retain  the  family's  name  and  there  would  be  two 
claimants  to  that  honour. 

These  considerations  will  show  how  difficult  it  has 
been  to  frame  a  law  that  will  uphold  the  sanctity  of 
Christian  marriage  and  yet  not  shift  the  centre  of  gravity 
in  the  Japanese  code  of  social  ethics.  As  everything  in 
Japanese  morals  hinges  on  the  family,  and  no  personal 
right  of  man  or  woman  may  alter  this,  how  can  a 
Japanese  live  according  to  Christian  standards  of  con- 
duct and  yet  remain  an  honourable  member  of  the 
family  in  which  he  has  been  born,  fulfilling  his  or  her 
duties  towards  it  ?  This  has  been  the  problem,  and 
the  following  pastorals  and  speeches  of  Bishop  Bicker - 
steth  testify  to  the  discussion  of  succeeding  synods,  and 
show  how  they  are  slowly,  but  hopefully,  feeling  their 
way  to  a  solution  of  difficulties  which  still  perplex  the 
conscience  of  the  "  Christian  "  West. 

Writing  to  his  clergy  in   1892,  Bishop  Bickersteth 


34  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

observes  that  "  the  marriage  law  of  the  Church  vitally 
affects  its  well-being  as  well  as  tests  its  obedience  to 
divine  commands  and  restrictions."     He  says  : — 

"  For  myself,  I  cannot  doubt  that  the  two  principles 
embodied  by  Archbishop  Parker  in  the  marriage  laws 
of  the  English  Church,  and  from  which  as  English 
clergymen  we  are  not  personally  at  liberty  to  recede — 
namely,  that  marriage  is  unlawful  within  the  third 
degree,  and  that  relationship  by  affinity  is  to  be  treated 
as  equivalent  to  relationship  by  consanguinity — are 
in  accordance  with  scriptural  guidance  and  catholic 
precedent." 

At  the  synod  of  1893  he  spoke  of  t^e  dangers  arising 
in  "  a  Christian  communion  "  from  a  "  laxity  "  of  their 
marriage  laws,  and  added  that  "  while  recognizing  the 
consideration  which  Christianity  always  gives  to  national 
or  local  customs,"  he  "  should  indeed  fear  for  the 
future  of  the  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai  if  "  our  "  marriage  law 
embodied  any  other  than  the  principles  of  the  universal 
Church."  No  Canon  was  passed  by  this  synod,  but  a 
joint  pastoral  on  the  Christian  marriage  law  was  issued 
by  Bishops  Bickersteth  and  McKim  early  in  1894.  In 
the  synod  of  1896  there  was  eager  discussion,  and 
Bishop  Bickersteth  was  distressed  at  the  laxity  of 
opinion  expressed  by  a  few  of  the  Japanese  delegates. 
His  declaration  in  full  synod,  "  that  he  would  resign  his 
position  rather  than  preside  over  a  Church  which 
tampered  with  the  Christian  marriage  laws  "  made  a 
deep  impression  on  the  Japanese  who  were  present, 
and  had  a  great  effect  at  the  time.  In  the  next  pastoral 
to  his  clergy  he  emphasized  his  view, saying  that  "we 
are  not  at  liberty,  if  we  would  be  true  to  ourselves,  to 
enact  any  law  which  would  conflict  with  the  mind  and 
practice  of  the  Catholic  Church,"  and  that  "  the  practice 
of  the  Christian  Church  from  the  beginning,  in  days 
anterior  to  the  definite  enactments   of  canon  law,  was 


BUILDING    UP   OF   THE    SEI    KOKWAI     35 

in  accordance  with  this  view  " — that  of  "  the  Mosaic 
law  (which  was)  based  on  the  principle  that  affinity  is  to 
be  regarded  as  equivalent  in  point  of  relationship  to 
consanguinity.  .  .  .  The  canon  law  only  defined  what 
had  long  been  accepted." 

The  synod  of  1896  was  followed  by  a  joint  pastoral 
on  the  question  issued  by  the  four  Bishops  of  the 
Nippon  Sei  Kokwai.  The  pastoral  enumerated  the 
"  three  fundamental  principles,"  relating  to  Christian 
marriage  derived  from  Holy  Scripture  ;  it  referred  to  a 
table  of  kindred  and  affinity  enclosed  with  the  letter  ;  and 
re-affirmed  Christian  principles  and  directions  that 
should  guide  their  conduct  as  Christians  in  regard 
to  :— 

(i)  Divorce  between  Christians ;  (2)  The  legitimacy 
of  the  remarriage  of  the  innocent  party  in  a  divorce ; 
(3)  To  unions  contracted  before  baptism ;  (4)  To  the 
binding  force  of  a  union  when  one  of  the  parties  becomes 
a  Christian ;  (5)  The  contraction  of  marriages  between 
a  Christian  and  an  unbeliever ;  (6)  A  marriage  with  a 
catechumen ;  (7)  The  solemnization  and  registration  of 
Christian  marriages ;  and  (8)  The  seasons  for  their 
solemnization. 

Lastly,  it  called  the  attention  of  the  clergy  to  the 
following  additional  points  : — 

(i)  To  the  statement  in  the  recent  synod  that  public 
opinion  in  Japan  held  marriage  with  a  deceased  wife's 
sister  undesirable,  though  its  civil  law  permitted  it ;  and 
to  the  question  whether  under  Canon  VIII  the  priest  in 
pastoral  charge  should  present  persons  who  contract 
such  marriages  to  the  Bishop  with  a  view  to  their 
excommunication. 

(2)  On  the  case  of  the  apostasy  from  the  Faith  on  the 
part  of  a  husband  or  wife. 

(3)  As  to  the  desirability  of  solemnizing  the  service  of 
the  Church  with  no  unnecessary  delay  after  due  steps 


36  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

had  been  taken  to  legalize  the  marriage  according  to 
the  requirements  of  the  civil  law. 

The  pastoral  concluded  by  a  reminder  of  "  the  utmost 
consideration  and  gentleness "  that  should  be  "  ex- 
hibited ...  in  dealing  with  the  various  and  often 
difficult  cases  which  must  necessarily  arise  until  Chris- 
tian principles  have  wholly  permeated  the  laws  and 
customs  of  the  land." 

By  Canon  XI,  as  drawn  up  and  acknowledged  by  the 
synod  of  1902,  the  law  as  to  the  banns  and  solemniza- 
tion of  marriage  and  their  registration  in  accordance 
with  the  civil  law,  was  prescribed  on  the  lines  of  the 
preceding  pastoral. 

Apart  from  the  questions  of  marriage  and  of  Prayer 
Book  revision,  the  rights  of  election  to  the  Church 
vestries  and  synods,  financial  organization,  the  question 
of  Church  disciphne,  and  the  formation  of  committees 
for  home  and  foreign  missions  were  among  the  matters 
of  importance  that  came  before  the  earlier  synods.  The 
outcome  of  their  deliberations  may  thus  be  briefly 
summarized  : — 

(i)  In  the  Sei  Kokwai,  to  quote  from  the  S.P.G. 
digest  of  1900,  "  each  congregation  has  its  vestry, 
and  sends  its  representatives  once  a  year  to  the  council 
of  the  missionary  diocese.  Each  diocese  has  its  own 
council  and  societies  for  missionary  and  pastoral  work, 
which  are  recognized  and  assisted  by  the  foreign  mis- 
sionary societies  ;  and  once  in  three  years  the  Canons 
require  that  there  should  be  held  (in  Tokyo  or  Osaka) 
a  general  synod  of  the  whole  Japanese  Church."  In 
this  synod  the  clerical  and  lay  deputies  may  vote 
separately  or  together ;  the  bishops  always  vote  separ- 
ately. 

(2)  Funds  for  pastoral  sustentation  and  for  home 
and  foreign  missions  are  under  the  management  of 
Board  committees  of  the  diocesan  synods.     Thus  already 


BUILDING    UP   OF   THE  SEI   KOKWAI      37 

has  the  Japanese  Church  acknowledged  her  duty  and 
privilege  to  provide  means  to  carry  on  her  work  at 
home  and  abroad  on  a  corporate  basis,  co -extensive 
with  her  dioceses,  rather  than  on  the  too  often  divergent 
lines    of    parochial    and    individual    interests. 

(3)  Church  discipline,  though  a  delicate  matter  where 
the  rulers  in  the  Church  are  for  the  most  part  of  a 
foreign  nationality,  and  have  to  deal  with  converts  of 
an  independent  nation,  has  been  the  easier  to  maintain 
through  the  instinctive  fealty  and  loyalty  to  authority 
which  stamps  the  Japanese  character.  Bishop  Bicker- 
steth  also  by  his  tact  and  his  care  not  to  let  little  care- 
lessnesses in  matters  of  ritual  and  reverence  develop  into 
abuses  hard  to  eradicate,  did  much  to  induce  reverent 
order  and  disciphne  within  the  Church.  Within  his 
own  jurisdiction,  whilst  careful  to  teach  and  uphold 
certain  ceremonies  and  ritual,  he  was,  as  Bishop  Evington 
wrote  "  liberal  to  all,  so  long  as  they  kept  within  the 
bounds  that  he  felt  the  Church  would  allow." 

In  regard  to  grave  misdemeanours,  the  Canon,  as  in 
force  at  present  until  the  next  General  Synod  of  1905, 
provides  as  follows  : — 

(a)  That  a  clergyman  accused  of  **  crime  or  other 
offence  "  shall  have  his  name  presented  to  the  standing 
committee,  such  presentment  having  to  be  *'  signed  by 
five  communicants,  of  whom  at  least  two  shall  be 
presbyters  "  ;  if  "  reasonable  cause  "  be  shown,  the 
clergyman  so  accused  shall  be  presented  to  the  Bishop 
for  examination  and  trial ;  and  a  court  consisting  of  three 
presbyters  chosen  by  the  Bishop  shall  be  constituted 
from  among  five  presbyters,  in  no  way  connected  with 
the  accused,  who  shall  have  the  right  to  reject  the 
names  of  two  in  favour  of  a  second  choice.  These 
presbyters  shall  accord  judgment  by  majority  and  sub- 
mit it  in  writing,  with  the  sentence  they  deem  fitting,  to 
the  Bishop,  and  the  Bishop   "  shall  pronounce  such 


38  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

canonical  sentence  as  he  may  deem  proper,"  but  not 
"  more  severe  than  the  sentence  fixed  by  the  court." 
The  accused  may  appeal  to  all  the  Bishops  of  the  Sei 
Kokwai  for  their  review  of  the  case,  "  and  their  sentence 
is  final." 

{b)  That  a  lay  member  of  the  Church  found  guilty  of 
immoral  conduct  or  renunciation  of  the  Faith,  may  be 
excluded  from  the  Holy  Communion  by  the  presbyter, 
whose  action  must  be  reported  to  the  Bishop  for  de- 
cision as  to  excommunication,  or  exclusion  for  a  time 
only. 

The  extension  of  the  episcopate  into  six  episcopal 
jurisdictions  has  been  a  matter  of  some  nine  years' 
growth,  since  the  beginning  of  its  corporate  entity  in 
1887.  In  1891  Bishop  Hare  of  South  Dakota,  then 
in  charge  of  the  American  Episcopal  Mission,  and  Bishop 
Bickersteth,  arranged  a  preliminary  delimitation  of 
their  respective  missionary  districts. 

By  this  agreement  Tokyo  was,  pro  tern.,  divided  into 
two  districts.  Osaka,  where  also  both  American  and 
English  missions  were  working  side  by  side,  remained 
as  common  ground,  whilst  the  boundary  line  between 
their  missionary  spheres  outside  these  towns  followed 
very  much  the  same  lines  as  deliminated  later.  Three 
years  later,  in  1894,  this  arrangement,  with  modifica- 
tions, was  ratified  by  the  Japanese  general  synod,  and 
by  that  of  1896  the  American  and  English  "  missionary 
jurisdictions,"  now  grown  by  sub-division  into  six 
missionary  dioceses,  were  formally  recognized.  Of 
these  jurisdictions  two—"  North  Tokyo  "  (or  "  Tokyo")  ^ 


1  This  missionary  diocese  is  equally  termed  "  Tokyo  "  and 
"  North  Tokj^o,"  owing  to  the  fact  that  whereas  in  the  constitu- 
tions of  the  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai  it  is  designated  "  the  North 
Tokyo  District  "  (Kita  Chihobu)  to  distinguish  it  from  that  of 
"South  Tokyo"  (Minami  Chihobu),  its  jurisdiction  is  still,  as 
before,  styled  "  Tokyo  "  in  the  home  missionary  documents  of 


BUILDING    UP  OF    THE    SEI    KOKWAI       39 

and  Kyoto  ^ — were  assigned  to  the  American  Church, 
and  four,  viz.  South  Tokyo,  Osaka,  Hokkaido  and 
Kiushiu — to  the  Enghsh  Church. 

In  accordance  with  the  views  maintained  by  Bishops 
Hare  and  Bickersteth  in  their  agreement — that  "  the 
residence  and  jurisdiction  of  the  American  and  Enghsh 
Bishops  respectively  should  be  determined  ...  by 
.  .  .  ready  access  to  each  other,  and  to  centres  of  life 
and  population,"  and  there  being  in  Japan  "  but  one 
great  centre  of  thought,  life,  and  influence — Tokyo, 
the  capital " — Tokyo  was  retained  as  the  residence  of 
both  the  English  and  the  American  Bishoj^s  respectively, 
of  "  South  and  North." 

As  both  American  and  English  had  important  work 
in  Tokyo  and  Osaka,  the  lines  of  territorial  divisions  in 
these  cities  were  drawn  upon  those  devised  in  the  above 
agreement ;  but  since  then  the  synod  of  the  Japanese 
Church  has  refused  to  recognize  any  lines  of  division 
in  these  cities,  lest  under  the  native  episcopate  of  the 
future  such  divisions  should  be  perpetuated.  The 
various  missions  are  therefore  free  to  work  in  any  part  of 
these  two  cities. 

Meanwhile,  during  a  short  visit  to  England  in  1893, 
Bishop  Bickersteth  made  proposals  to  the  C.M.S.  for 
the  creation  of  two  new  dioceses,  the  one  to  be  in  the 
northern  island  of  Yezo,  and  the  other  in  the  southern 
island  of  Kiushiu,  both  to  be  sub-divisions  of  his  own 

the  American  Episcopal  Church.  Hence  arises  occasional  con- 
fusion of  thought. 

1  The  first  Bishop  of  Kyoto,  the  Right  Rev.  Sidney  'Catlin 
Partridge,  was  also  "the  first  bishop  ever  consecrated  in  Japan." 
The  consecration  took  place  in  Trinity  Cathedral,  Tokyo,  on  the 
Feast  of  the  Purification  (February  2),  1900,  the  consecrator. 
Bishop  McKim  of  Tokyo,  being  assisted  by  Bishop  Graves  of 
Shanghai,  Bishop  Scheresehewsky,  formerly  of  Shanghai,  and  by 
the  four  English  bishops  in  Japan,  i.e.  the  Bishops  of  South 
Tokyo,  Osaka,  Kiushiu,  and  Hokkaido  (see  S.P.G.  Digest  of 
1900. 


40  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

jurisdiction.  The  English  missionaries  in  these  islands 
were  entirely  supported  by  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  whose  committee  now  undertook  to  be  re- 
sponsible for  the  Bishop's  stipends  if  nominated  by 
the  Society.  Accordingly,  in  March,  1894,  the  Rev. 
Henry  Evington  was  consecrated  to  the  southern 
diocese  of  Kiushiu,  and  after  some  little  delay,  in  1896 
the  Rev.  P.  K.  Fyson  was  nominated,  and  received 
consecration,  to  that  of  the  Hokkaido,  as  Yezo  and  the 
smaller  islands  near  it  were  now  officially  termed.  Both 
Bishop  Evington  and  Bishop  Fyson  had  been  since  1874 
— some  twenty  years — missionaries  of  the  Society  in 
Japan,  and  had  for  many  years  worked  at  Nagasaki 
and  Hakkodate  respectively,  where  they  have  con- 
tinued to  reside. 

In  1896  the  missionary  diocese  of  South  Tokyo  was 
further  sub-divided  by  the  creation  of  the  bishopric  of 
Osaka,  and  to  this  see  the  Right  Rev.  WilUam  Awdry, 
Bishop -suffragan  of  Southampton,  was  appointed. 
For  the  stipend  of  the  new  see  the  S.P.G.  accepted 
entire  responsibility  at  the  instance  of  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  when  the  C.M.S.  felt  themselves  obliged 
to  decline  co-operation  in  the  fund  unless  they  were 
given  the  right  of  nomination,  on  the  ground  that  most 
of  the  missionaries  working  in  the  proposed  diocese 
belonged  to  their  Society. 

A  year  later,  in  August,  1897,  when  in  England  to  re- 
cover from  a  dangerous  illness,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
Lambeth  conference,  at  which  he  had  been  present. 
Bishop  Bickersteth  was  called  to  his  rest.^    He  was  one 

1  Bishop  Bickersteth  was  succeeded  in  the  see  of  South  Tokyo 
by  Bishop  Awdry,  he  in  turn  being  succeeded  at  Osaka  by  the 
Rev.  H.  J.  Foss,  for  twenty-three  years  S.P.G.  missionary  at 
Kobe.  For  the  same  reason  as  with  the  diocese  of  Osaka,  the 
C.M.S.  discontinued  its  co-operation  in  the  financial  support  of 
the  South  Tokyo  see  on  the  accession  of  Bishop  Awdry,  for 
whose  stipend  the  S.P.G.  assumed  then  the  whole  responsibility. 


BUILDING  UP  OF  THE  SEI  KOKWAI        41 

"  whose  far-seeing  mind  and  statesmanlike  judgment 
had  done  much  in  laying  the  foundations  "of  the  Church 
in  Japan  during  the  eleven  years  of  his  episcopate. 
The  consolidation  of  the  Japanese  Church  into  the 
Nippon  Sei  Kokwai,  with  its  complete  synodical  organi- 
zation, is  the  living  monument  to  a  memory,  and  to  a 
name  which  is  revered  as  an  inspiration  by  all  to  whom 
he  still  speaks  in  his  recorded  life  and  words. 


CHAPTER  V 

The  Work  of  the  S.P.G.  and  C.M.S.  in  Tokyo 

Sketcli  of  the  progress,  and  summary,  of  S.P.G.  Work — The 
Society's  Work  among  Women— CM. 5.  Work  and  its 
General  Progress — Its  Church  Centres  and  "Hostels." 

It  has  been  mentioned  in  an  earlier  chapter  that  the 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  sent  out  the 
Rev.  A.  C.  Shaw,  M.A.  (afterwards  Archdeacon  of  North 
Japan,  I'^'o),  and  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Wright,  M.A.,  as  their 
first  missionaries  to  Japan  in  1873.  Establishing  them- 
selves at  Tokyo,  they  cultivated  friendly  relations 
with  some  of  the  Buddhist  priests  and  within  a  few 
months  opened  services  for  Europeans  in  a  disused 
temple.  Within  two  years,  which  were  spent  largely 
in  the  study  of  the  Japanese  and  Chinese  languages, 
they  were  rewarded  by  the  baptism  of  five  converts ; 
these  were  subsequently  confirmed  by  the  American 
Bishop  of  Yedo  (afterwards  '^okyo).  In  1876  Bishop 
Burdon  came  from  Hongkong  and  confirmed  fifteen  men 
and  three  women. 

At  first,  both  Mr.  Shaw  and  Mr.  Wright  carried  on 
their  Mission  work  chiefly  through  schools,  Mr.  Shaw 
holding  classes  "  for  moral,  really  Christian  science  " 
in  the  large  school  or  university  established  by  the  late 
Mr.  Fukuzawa.  This  gentleman,  with  whom  for  over 
three  years  Mr.  Shaw  resided,  was  a  leading  Japanese 
of  wide  intellectual  influence  at  Tokyo. 

42 


THE    WORK    OF   THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     43 

As  direct  evangelization  became  easier,  their  efforts 
were  devoted  more  to  preaching,  and  within  the  first 
four  years  (by  1877)  nearly  150  converts  were  baptized. 

In  1883  Mr.  Wright  resigned  his  work  in  consequence 
of  his  wife's  illness,  but  Mr.  Shaw  continued  in  charge  of 
the  S.P.G.  work  until  his  death  in  1902.  Of  the  Society's 
work  in  Tokyo  Archdeacon  Shaw  had  been  the  principal 
founder  and  director.  In  the  words  of  a  non-Christian 
paper  {Jiji  Shimpo),  he  had  "  won  the  love  and  respect 
of  all  his  fellow  countrymen  in  Tokyo,  together  with  that 
of  an  immense  circle  of  Japanese  "  ;  during  his  long 
residence  "  his  life  had  been  indeed  an  example  to  all 
priests."  In  1895,  after  some  twenty  years  spent  in 
Japan,  "  Archdeacon  Shaw  was  formally  thanked  by 
the  Japanese  Government  for  his  services  rendered  to 
Japan  in  one  of  the  most  critical  periods  of  its  history 
by  writing  and  correcting  misapprehensions  about  the 
country  from  time  to  time."  Upon  his  death  the 
Emperor  paid  to  his  widow  the  further  honour  of  pre- 
senting her  with  a  sum  of  yen  1,000  (£100)  in  token  of 
his  Imperial  appreciation  of  the  Archdeacon's  services 
to  the  country. 

The  general  progress  of  the  S.P.G.  work  in  Tokyo 
may  be  noted  as  follows  : — 

(i)  The  training  of  mission  agents,  begun  in  1878 
by  Messrs.  Wright  and  Shaw,  was  carried  on  for  eleven 
years,  principally  by  the  latter.  This  work  was  taken 
up  and  continued  by  the  St.  Andrew's  Mission,  and  will 
be  more  fully  described  under  that  head  ;  but  it  should 
be  here  mentioned  that  as  a  result  of  their  teaching  and 
influence  six  native  clergy  had  been  ordained  by  1890. 
Of  these,  the  first  were  the  Rev.  J.  Y.  Yamagata  (deacon 
1885,  priest  1890),  the  Rev.  J.  Imai  (deacon  in  1888), 

(2)  In  1883  the  S.P.G.  shared  with  the  C.M.S.  in  the 
provision  for  a  resident  English  [bishop  in  Japan. 
Bishop  Poole,  of  the  C.M.S.,  was  first  appointed,  and  lived 


44  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

at  Kobe.  Owing  to  his  serious  illness  and  enforced 
absence,  an  arrangement  he  entered  into  with  the  Ameri- 
can Bishop  of  Yedo  was  never  ratified.  This  was  that 
the  English  missionaries  at  Tokyo  should  be  supervised 
by  himself,  but  that  confirmations  and  ordinations 
should  be  administered  by  the  resident  American 
bishop,  from  whom  they  were  to  hold  special  hcenc  ;. 
On  the  succession  of  Bishop  Bickersteth  in  1886  this 
plan  was- abandoned,  as  the  English  bishop  resided  in 
Tokyo.  In  1891  he  and  Bishop  Hare  (then  representing 
the  American  Church)  agreed  on  a  basis  for  the  exercise 
of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  English  and  American  bishops, 
by  which  the  former  retained  the  south-western  part  of 
Tokyo.  Since  the  death  of  Bishop  Bickersteth  and  the 
appointment  of  Bishop  Awdry  of  Osaka  as  his  successor, 
the  S.P.G.  has  been  responsible  for  the  entire  support 
of  the  Bishop  of  South  Tokyo. 

(3)  Educational  work  under  Christian  influence  was 
carried  on  for  some  five  years  (from  1885-90)  by  the 
Rev.  Arthur  Lloyd,  at  that  time  working  with  the 
S.P.G.  Mr.  Lloyd,  who  was  at  one  time  fellow  and 
dean  of  Peterhouse  College,  Cambridge,  having  accepted 
the  offices  of  lecturer  in  the  Japanese  Government  naval 
medical  college  and  naval  academy,  and  the  super- 
intendence of  the  English  branch  of  Mr.  Fukuzawa's 
private  university,  exercised  a  wide  influence  over  the 
educated  young  men  of  the  capital. 

(4)  Work  ■among  women  in  Tokyo  was  begun  in  1875 
by  Miss  Hoar,  of  the  Ladies'  Association,  afterwards 
(1866-1895)  called  the  "  Women's  Mission  Association  " 
of  the  S.P.G.^  This  work  was  carried  on  by  her  for  some 
twenty-two  years  with  the  assistance  of  her  cousin.  Miss 
A.  Hoar,  who  joined  her  in  1886.     But  in  1898,  both 

1  Since  January,  1904,  the  S.P.G.  has  assumed  full  responsi- 
bility for  all  the  women's  work  in  its  missions,  and  the  W.M.A. 
Committee  has  become  the  Committee  of  Women's  Work,  S.P.G. 


THE    WORK    OF   THE    S.P.Cx.    AND    C.M.S.     45 

being  broken  down  in  health,  were  obhged  to  return  to 
England.  Their  special  work  of  teaching  and  train- 
ing Japanese  women  as  missionary  helpers  was  then 
handed  over  to  St.  Hilda's  Mission,  which  had  been 
founded  by  Bishop  Bickersteth  about  ten  years  before. 

Meanwhile,  a  few  months  before,  i.e.  in  September 
of  1897,  fresh  work  had  been  begun  upon  her  own  initia- 
tive by  another  English  lady.  Miss  M.  D.  Weston.  This 
was  the  providing  of  Christian  home-life  for  a  few  school- 
girls and  students,  and  was  the  fulfilment  of  an  idea  long 
cherished  by  her  and  her  friend  Miss  Hasegawa.  In 
April,  1898,  Miss  Weston  was  appointed  as  Miss  Hoar's 
successor,  and  her  house  became  the  W.M.A.  centre  in 
Tokyo.  She  commenced  her  housekeeping  in  company 
with  the  Japanese  lady  above  named,  whose  co-operation 
in  the  work  has  been  invaluable  in  extending  Christian 
influence  among  Japanese  ladies  and  schoolgirls. 

The  small  house  taken  by  Miss  Weston  and  Miss  Hasa- 
gawa  proved  before  long  to  be  too  small  for  the  in- 
creasing numbers  of  students  and  schoolgirls  who  had 
come  to  live  with  them.  In  February,  1899,  ^^ey  re- 
moved to  larger  quarters.  It  happened  that  the  only 
house  at  all  suited  to  their  needs  in  the  district  of 
Kojimachi  was  situated  just  opposite  the  Peeresses' 
School.  This  large  and  important  school  now  occupies 
a  good  deal  of  the  attention  of  the  Mission.  The  move 
had  results,  therefore,  far  wider  than  were  ever  ex- 
pected at  the  time. 

The  growth  of  the  work  in  general  made  it  desirable 
to  make  another  move  not  long  after.  This  was  pre- 
cipitated by  an  order  from  the  town  authorities,  who  had 
bought  up  the  land  where  the  house  stood  for  a  new 
road,  in  view  of  the  increasing  traffic  in  the  city.  Accord- 
ingly a  move  was  made  in  1901  to  another  house.  The 
two  former  houses  had  been  entirely  Japanese,  though 


46  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

in  the  second  one  there  had  latterly  been  some  half- 
dozen  chairs  and  a  desk  for  the  convenience  of  Miss 
Weston.  This  third  house  had  foreign-built  rooms  in 
the  annex  and  a  mixed  mode  of  life  was  adopted. 

The  house  was  the  best  that  could  be  procured  at  the 
time,  but  the  situation  was  not  a  desirable  one  from  the 
health  point  of  view.  In  1902  notice  to  leave  was  given 
to  the  Mission  by  the  landlord ;  and  thus  circumstances 
once  again  guided  the  Mission  into  other  quarters,  where 
a  still  further  expansion  of  work  was  made  possible. 
The  present  house  is  situated  in  an  excellent  position 
for  the  work  in  the  Peeresses'  School  and  for  the  evan- 
gelistic work  among  its  students  which  arises  from  that 
work.  It  is  a  healthy  home  for  the  girls  and  students, 
and  has  a  nice  garden  of  its  own  which,  being  near  to 
some  temple  gardens,  appears  to  be  of  great  extent. 

Miss  Parker,  who  had  been  engaged  in  important 
educational  work  in  Japan  from  1887  to  1891,  offered 
herself  to  the  S.P.G.  in  1900,  and  came  out  in  November 
of  that  year  to  take  charge  of  Miss  Weston's  work  during 
her  furlough.  It  was  under  her  locum  tenency  that 
this  last  move  was  made. 

The  work  of  this  Mission  has  thus  been  of  gradual 
growth.  The  wish  foremost  in  Miss  Weston's  mind,  when 
with  Miss  Hasegawa  she  began  her  plan  unsupported  by 
any  Society,  was  to  provide  a  bright  home-life  for  those 
in  her  house  ;  a  home-life  free  fr^m  daily  contact  with 
non-Christian  ideas  and  superstitions,  and  one  which, 
while  retaining  many  of  the  Japanese  social  customs 
and  ways  of  living,  should  unconsciously  influence  the 
minds  of  the  inmates  towards  Christianity. 

The  number  of  girls  and  students  vary  from  eight  to 
ten,  some  of  whom  attend  the  Peeresses'  or  other  schools 
in  the  neighbourhood  ;  others  are  older  students  who 
are  glad  of  the  opportunity  which  her  house  affords  for 
the  study  of  English.     One  of  these  older  students  had 


THE    WORK    OF   THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     47 

served  at  one  of  the  base  hospitals  and  on  a  hospital 
ship  during  the  war  with  China  in  1895.  She  came 
with  the  twofold  object  of  perfecting  her  English  and  of 
learning  Christianity.  She  was  taught  and  prepared  for 
baptism,  confirmation,  and  Holy  Communion  while  at 
Miss  Weston's  house,  and  is  now  married  to  a  Christian 
Japanese  living  in  San  Francisco.  Another  of  these 
elder  students  who  came  in  the  first  instance  for  the  study 
of  English,  became  interested  in  Christianity  during  her 
first  year  with  Miss  Weston,  and  became  finally  a  most 
earnest  Christian.  She  is  now  holding  a  scholarship  in 
St.  Hilda's  Divinity  School  for  Women. 

The  house  is  not  only  a  Home,  but  a  centre  for  classes 
in  English,  social  intercourse,  philanthropic  effort  and, 
most  important  of  all,  for  definite  Christian  teaching. 
The  opportunities  for  such  teaching  arise  out  of  all  these 
varied  efforts  to  come  into  closer  touch  with  the  women 
and  girls  of  progressive  Japan.  When  in  1900  Miss 
Weston  obtained  the  position  of  sole  foreign  lady 
teacher  on  the  regular  staff  of  the  Peeresses'  School,  it 
was  a  great  step  towards  a  further  advance  in  the 
desired  direction. 

This  Peeresses'  School,  with  its  Kindergarten,  now 
numbers  nearly  600  pupils.  It  was  founded  by  H.M. 
the  Empress  in  the  year  1884,  and  was  especially 
designed  to  give  the  best  educational  opportunities  to 
the  daughters  of  the  nobility.  It  stands  as  a  companion 
school  to  the  Peers'  School  founded  shortly  before  by 
the  Emperor  for  the  sons  of  the  nobility.  A  large  num- 
ber of  pupils  other  than  those  from  noble  families  are 
admitted,  but  the  whole  management  is  regulated  by 
the  need  and  claims  of  those  families.  The  princesses 
sit  side  by  side  in  class  with  daughters  of  the  nobihty, 
and  of  the  official  and  wealthier  merchant  class. 

That  a  missionary  should  be  given  a  post  on  the 
staff  of  this  school  was  a  sign  of  the  growing  public 


48  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

good-will  towards  Christian  teachers.  Her  teaching  (of 
English  conversation  and  hterature)  at  the  school  takes 
up  a  great  part  of  her  time,  but  its  value  has  been  proved 
by  experience  to  be  great.  It  has  been  the  means  of 
bringing  her  into  contact  with  a  large  and  important 
section  of  the  community,  and  of  the  gradual  extension 
of  Christian  influence  among  them.  A  few  come  from 
time  to  time  to  be  baptized  and  profess  their  faith  in 
Christ,  but  social  and  family  reasons  forbid  many  from 
doing  this.  For  the  majority,  the  seed  must  be  sown  in 
faith,  and  in  hope  that  the  fruit  wall  be  found  "  after 
many  days." 

Two  interesting  societies  for  Japanese  ladies  have 
come  into  being  through  Miss  Weston's  efforts.  One  is 
a  "  Reading  Society  "  for  the  encouragement  of  the  regu- 
lar reading  of  good  litertature,  Japanese  or  foreign.  It 
is  forming  for  itself  a  library,  and  at  the  present  time 
uses  the  Mission  House  for  its  headquarters.  A  further 
development  has  taken  place  on  the  initiative  of  the 
ladies  themselves.  It  has  been  arranged  to  hold  monthly 
meetings  of  an  informal  nature,  at  which  the  members 
shall  take  it  in  turn  to  give  some  account  of  the  special 
points  of  interest  in  their  reading,  and  at  which  consecu- 
tive readings  from  some  specially  chosen  book  shall  be 
given  by  one  member  appointed  for  the  purpose. 

Some  of  the  members  of  this  Reading  Society  are 
attending  a  fortnightly  reading  meeting  which  Miss 
Weston  has  started  for  some  of  her  older  pupils.  This 
reading  meeting  is  a  combined  one — half  the  time  is 
spent  in  Bible  study,  and  half  in  the  study  of  some 
English  classic. 

The  other  society,  called  the  "  Jizen  Shugei  Kwai " 
(charity  hand- working  society),  was  inaugurated  by 
Miss  Weston  in  October,  1900,  with  the  help  of  a  com- 
mittee of  Japanese  ladies.  Beginning  with  thirteen 
schoolgirls,  it  now  numbers  over    ninety  members,  a 


THE    WORK    OF   THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     49 

large  number  of  the  original  members  who  have  left 
the  school  having  retained  their  membership. 

It  holds  monthly  meetings  at  Miss  Weston's  house,  at 
which  some  speaker  interested  in,  or  engaged  in,  philan- 
thropic works  addresses  the  members,  whilst  sewing 
and  knitting  go  on.  Some  work  has  been  sold,  and  from 
the  funds  raised  donations  to  various  deserving  chari- 
table institutions  have  been  given  from  time  to  time.  A 
good  deal  of  clothing  has  also  been  made  and  distributed 
among  the  deserving  poor  and  inmates  of  orphanages 
and  the  like.  During  the  present  year  all  energies  have 
been  taken  up  by  the  war  with  Russia,  and  this  Society 
has  contributed  its  share  of  cholera-belts,  socks  and 
other  articles  to  be  sent  to  the  front.  Neither  the 
members  nor  the  committee  are  necessarily  Christians ; 
but  its  work  in  the  cause  of  charity  and  its  general 
influence  prepares  the  way  for  Christianity. 

What  is  now  needed  is  a  larger  staff  of  workers  to 
enable  the  Mission  to  do  its  work  more  efficiently  and  to 
watch  for,  and  take  advantage  of,  all  the  opportunities 
for  Christian  work  which  lie  in  its  way. 

THE   CHURCH   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY   AT   TOKYO 

In  1873  the  Rev.  A.  C.  Shaw  and  the  Rev.  W.  B. 

Wright  of  the  S.P.G.  arrived  at  Yokohama,  in  the  same 
ship  that  brought  Bishop  Williams  of  the  American 
Episcopal  Church  from  Osaka.  While  the  S.P.G. 
missionaries  proceeded  at  once  to  Tokyo,  it  was  not  until 
the  following  year  that  Bishop  WilHams  established  in 
the  capital  a  fresh  branch  of  his  Mission.  In  that  year 
also,  1874,  the  Rev.  J.  Piper  and  Mrs.  Piper  were  sent 
to  Tokyo  as  the  first  missionaries  of  the  C.M.S.  Arriving 
at  Yokohama  in  April,  they  removed  to  Tokyo  in  May, 
and  were  shortly  afterwards  joined  by  the  Rev.  P.  K. 
Fyson  (now  Bishop  of  Hokkaido)  and  Mrs.  Fyson. 

During  the  first  eighteen  months  the  time  was  chiefly 
occupied  with  the  study  of  the  language,  and  the  for- 

E 


50  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

mation  of  friendly  acquaintances  with  the  people.  Mr. 
Piper  also  aided  largely  in  the  forming  of  local  com- 
mittees of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  and  Rehgious 
Tract  Societies. 

In  1875  Mr.  Fyson  was  transferred  to  Niigata/  and 
Mr.  Piper  was  for  nearly  four  years,  until  1879,  the  only 
C.M.S.  missionary  at  the  capital.  From  the  close  of 
1875  to  1878  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Piper  lived  in  the  heart  of 
the  city,  at  some  distance  from  the  foreign  concession ; 
but  permission  to  do  this  was  then  withdrawn  by  the 
Government,  which  desired  to  reduce  the  number  of 
foreign  residents  outside  their  settlement  in  Tsukiji. 
However,  Mr.  Piper  secured  suitable  premises  there  for 
their  house,  and  a  small  Mission  church  was  dedicated  by 
Bishop  Burdon  from  Hong  Kong  in  May,  1878.  The 
Church  Mission  House  in  Tsukiji  became  the  centre  of 
the  Society's  work  in  Tokyo,  but  in  the  city  also  a  room, 
formerly  secured  for  evangelistic  services,  was  retained. 
These  earlier  years  were  full  of  hope.  As  early  as  1876 
five  converts  received  baptism,  the  first  confirmation 
was  held,  and  Holy  Communion  administered  to  them. 
A  Church  Committee  was  soon  formed  and  the  nucleus 
of  a  native  congregation  was  established.  It  was  one 
of  the  first  of  the  C.M.S.  congregations  to  become  self- 
supporting. 

The  Mission  buildings  had  a  narrow  escape  from  the 
terrible  fire  of  1879,  which  destroyed  thousands  of  homes, 
many  being  burnt  down  in  close  vicinity  to  those  of  the 
Mission.  The  calamity  was  a  means  of  awakening 
sympathy  and  good  feeling  between  the  Japanese  and 
the  foreign  residents.  From  those  in  Yokohama  and 
Tokyo  ;£i,6oo  was  subscribed  in  relief  funds,  in  the 
distribution  of  which  the  missionaries  took  their  share. 
This  practical  benevolence  inspired  by  Christianity 
produced— as  Mr.  Piper  wrote — "  a  profound  impression 
1  This  CM  S.  station  was  relinquished  in  1883. 


THE    WORK    OF   THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     51 

on  the  minds  of  many  Japanese  in  favour  of  Chris- 
tianity." 

In  1880  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Piper  left  for  England  owing  to 
the  failure  of  the  latter's  health  ;  and  for  the  next  three 
years  the  Rev.  I.  Williams,  lately  arrived  from  Hakkodate, 
took  charge  of  the  Mission.  Mr.  Piper's  literary  work 
in  Japan  had  been  of  great  value.  Besides  sharing  in 
the  work  of  Bible  and  Prayer  Book  translation,  which 
will  be  referred  to  later,  he  wrote  and  translated  into 
Japanese  numbers  of  tracts  for  the  Religious  Tract 
Society  in  Tokyo.  He  also  prepared  a  Japanese  edition 
of  a  Life  of  Christ  in  the  words  of  the  Evangelists. 
But  his  chief  Biblical  work  was  the  Japanese  reference 
New  Testament  containing  12,000  references. 

During  Mr.  Williams'  oversight  of  the  Mission,  1880-3, 
the  members  of  its  congregation  increased  in  numbers, 
while  the  better  educated  and  more  intellectual  men  and 
women  among  the  converts  raised  its  tone  and  character 
considerably.  Of  these  Dr.  Hada,  now  hving  in  Boshu, 
may  be  mentioned. 

Mr.  Williams  left  for  England  in  1883.  When  Mr. 
Fyson,  who  had  succeeded  to  the  charge,  also  left  in 
the  following  year,  it  was  feared  that  this  important 
Mission  station  would  have  to  be  given  up.  Until 
more  missionaries  could  be  sent  to  strengthen  the  work 
at  Osaka  and  Nagasaki,  the  pastoral  and  evangelistic 
work  would  have  to  be  carried  on  by  a  catechist,  aided 
by  the  superintendence  of  the  Rev.  C.  F.  (afterwards 
Archdeacon)  Warren.  In  1885  both  Mr.  Williams  and 
Mr.  Fyson  returned  to  Tokyo,  and  for  the  next  few  years 
— in  spite  of  several  disappointments — the  work  ad- 
vanced not  only  in  the  city  and  its  suburbs  but  in  the 
country  villages  around,  more  especially  in  Boshu, 
which  lies  across  the  bay  from  Tokyo. 

During  the  latter  part  of  1894  and  the  whole  of  1895 
the  work  of  the  Society  at  Tokyo  was  again  left  in  the 


52  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

hands  of  native  pastors  and  catechists,  occasional  visits 
being  paid  to  them  by  Mr.  Warren,  from  Osaka.  But 
early  in  1896  the  Mission  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Rev.  W.  P.  Buncombe,  who  was  transferred  from 
Tokushima,  and  since  then  it  has  not  been  left  without 
a  resident  foreign  missionary.  During  Mr.  Buncombe's 
furlough,  1901-2,  the  Rev.  H.  J.  Hamilton,  formerly  at 
Gifu,  was  placed  in  charge. 

At  the  same  time,  in  1896  the  Mission  was  further  re- 
inforced by  the  return  of  Miss  Julius,  a  missionary  of 
some  years'  standing,  and  by  the  advent  of  other  new 
missionaries  from  England. 

The  Mission  at  Tokyo  took  its  full  share  in  the  forma- 
tion, in  1887,  of  the  Sei  Kokwai,  and  in  the  legislative 
work  of  its  synods  and  the  compihng  and  revising  of  the 
Prayer  Book.  The  C.M.S.  evangelistic  work  in  Tokyo 
during  the  last  seventeen  years  may  be  briefly  described 
in  connexion  with  (i)  the  Church  of  St.  Paul's,  Kyo- 
bashi,  and  of  Immanuel,  Kojimachi ;  (2)  the  Mission -halls 
in  the  Ginza  and  Fukagawa  districts  ;  (3)  the  hostels  for 
young  men  and  for  girls. 

(i)  St.  Paul's  Church,  Kyohashi. — By  1898  the  little 
church,  dedicated  to  St.  Paul,  in  Tsukiji,  had  become 
too  small  and  too  dilapidated ;  its  plaster  had  fallen 
off  in  consequence  of  earthquakes  and  from  damp  during 
the  rains.  It  was  therefore  erected  upon  a  larger 
scale,  and  later — as  the  newly  built  American  episcopal 
cathedral  was  also  situated  in  Tsukiji — St.  Paul's  was 
removed  outside  the  foreign  concession  to  another 
quarter  of  the  same  city  division,  Kyobashi.  Here  the 
numbers  and  the  Christian  influence  of  its  congregation 
have  progressed  steadily.  Until  the  formation  of  a 
Church  congregation  in  Kojimachi,  St.  Paul's  received 
all  the  converts  resulting  from  the  various  evangelistic 
agencies  of  the  C.M.S  in  Tokyo.  In  1900  its  congre- 
gation contributed  £55  in  the  year,  although  the  mem- 


THE    WORK    OF   THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     53 

bers  were  principally  confined  to  the  less  wealthy  classes. 
In  igo2  the  Society's  grant-in-aid  was  dispensed  with, 
and  the  Church  became  self-supporting,  with  the  Rev. 
M.  Tomita  as  its  pastor  and  priest-in-charge. 

Meanwhile  a  second  and  distinct  congregation  was 
growing  up  near  the  Mission-hall  in  Kojimachi,  which 
is  an  important  district  on  the  opposite  side  of  Tokyo.^ 
The  Rev.  V.  H.  Patrick  was  placed  in  charge  of  it  in 
1902,  when  a  certain  portion  of  the  hall  was  set  apart 
for  divine  service.  Mr.  Patrick  and  his  catechist  are 
assisted  in  their  Sunday  schools,  district  visiting  and 
other  evangelistic  work  by  the  Society's  lady  mission- 
aries living  in  Kojimachi.  Like  many  other  Japanese 
Church  centres,  the  Church  of  Immanuel,  Kojimachi, 
possesses  a  small  but  vigorous  congregation.  It  is 
already  contributing  towards  the  support  of  its  catechist, 
but  as  yet  the  Mission-hall  has  to  serve  both  as  preaching- 
house  for  evangelistic  purposes  and  as  a  church  for 
Christian  worship.  Funds  are  gradually  being  col- 
lected, however,  and  it  is  hoped  that  before  long  a  more 
ecclesiastical  building  will  be  provided  for  this  congre- 
gation. 

(2)  The  Mission-hall  in  the  Ginza  and  at  Fukagawa. — 
The  Mission-hall,  or  Whidborne  Hall,  in  the  Ginza 
occupies  *'  an  ideal  position."  It  is  situated  in  the 
middle  of  the  most  important  thoroughfare  of  Tokyo, 
a  street  traversed  from  end  to  end  by  electric  trams, 
that  follow  each  other  momentarily.  It  is  one  of 
the  few  in  the  entire  city  that  can  boast  of  a  raised 

1  Kyobashi  may  be  said  to  be  in  the  business  and  Kojimachi 
in  the  residential  section  of  the  city.  Kojimachi  stands  on  much 
higher  ground  and  contains,  besides  its  pubhc  buildings  and 
palaces,  many  handsome  residences  of  the  nobihty  and  foreign 
diplomats,  and  some  of  the  more  important  government  and 
private  schools  of  the  capital.  Of  these  may  be  mentioned  the 
Peeresses'  School  under  Imperial  patronage,  and  the  flourishing 
private  school  for  English,  established  by  Miss  Tsuda — 
a  Japanese  lady  and  member  of  the  Sei  Kokwai. 


54  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

pavement  on  either  side  for  foot-traffic.  In  the  Ginza 
are  some  of  the  largest  and  most  up-to-date  of  the  Tokyo 
shops,  which  cater  for  the  daily  needs  of  Japanese  and 
foreign  residents.  In  trams  and  on  foot  crowds  pass 
along  the  Ginza  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  and  many  stay 
to  listen  for  a  while  to  the  missionary  or  catechist  in 
the  Whidborne  Hall. 

In  one  year  (1902-3)  300  meetings  were  held  in  this 
hall,  which  were  attended  by  at  least  25,000  people. 
Even  if  the  number  of  those  who  are  convinced  of  the 
Truth  and  become  baptized  members  of  the  Church 
appear  few  in  comparison  (in  that  year  twenty),  yet 
one  may  feel  assured  that  what  they  hear  must  bear 
fruit  in  after  years.  The  hall  is  rarely  empty  on  any 
preaching-night ;  it  is  often  fiUed  with  passers-by,  who 
come  in  for  a  while  from  idle  curiosity,  but  still  there 
are  always  those  who  come  again  and  again  to  listen 
eagerly  to  the  divine  message. 

In  Fukagawa,  a  much  poorer  and  very  low  neighbour- 
hood, and  at  some  distance  from  Tsukiji,  there  have  been 
living,  for  several  years,  some  families  belonging  to  St. 
Paul's  congregation.  Miss  Peacocke  held  for  about 
three  years,  1896-99,  a  class  in  this  district  for  men  of 
the  pohce-force.  This  work  has  since  been  carried  on 
and  developed  at  the  police  headquarters,  Kojimachi, 
by  Miss  Palmer  upon  lines  suggested  by  similar  work 
at  Osaka.  A  small  Mission-hall  has  been  owned  in  the 
Fukagawa  district  since  1885.  It  was  rebuilt  and  im- 
proved in  1902.  Preachings  are  held  there  two  or  three 
times  each  week  and  every  Sunday  evening.  Classes 
for  inquirers  and  children  are  taken  weekly  by  the 
catechist,  assisted  by  ladies  of  the  Mission.  There 
is  consequently  a  small  congregation  of  baptized 
Christians  growing  up  in  this  district. 

(3)  Hostels  for  Young  Men  and  for  Girls, — The  plan 
of  opening   "  hostels "   for  students  attending  public 


FIRST  AID  TO  THE  INJURED 
Ladies'  Volunteer  Nurses'  Association,  Tokyo  1905. 
By  kind  permission  of  G.  Palmer. 


THE    WORK    OF    THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     55 

colleges  was  adopted  some  years  ago  and  has  been 
proved  a  successful  means  of  evangelization.  By  the 
action  of  the  Government  in  recent  years  in  the  regula- 
tion and  licensing  of  schools,  grants  were  refused  to 
schools  which  gave  rehgious  teaching  in  their  curriculum, 
and  thus  Christian  instruction  in  school  hours  became 
impossible  in  schools  that  desired  the  grant.  Mission 
work  has  been  hampered  by  these  regulations  and  by 
the  difficulty  of  maintaining  the  level  of  educational 
efficiency  which  has  made  competition  with  non- 
Christian  schools  more  severe.  However,  no  Sei  Kokwai 
Mission  schools  have  been  closed,  and  they  have  gradually 
become  stronger. 

Meanwhile,  Christian  "  hostels,"  or  boarding-houses, 
have  been  welcomed  by  guardians  and  parents  who 
appreciated  Christian  influence  and  the  moral  advan- 
tages of  a  Christian  family  life.  What  little  has  been 
lost  by  the  restriction  of  Christian  teaching  in  Mission 
schools  has  been  more  than  counterbalanced  by  pro- 
gress in  this  direction.  The  estabhshment  of  Christian 
hostels  has  proved  a  means  of  bringing  Christianity  within 
the  reach  of  some  of  the  large  number  of  students 
who  attend  the  ordinary  public  and  private  schools  of 
Tokyo. 

The  men's  hostel  for  Christian  students  was  opened 
in  Yushima,  on  the  borders  of  the  Kanda  and  Hongo 
divisions  of  the  city,  in  1899.  Its  object  is  to  provide 
a  Christian  home  for  Christian  students  during  their 
time  of  study  in  Tokyo.  Most  of  those  who  have 
entered  have  been  members  of  the  Sei  Kokwai. 

The  hostel  is  always  full,  and  has  ten  or  twelve 
students  in  residence.  Such  a  hostel  is  rendered  the 
more  necessary  by  the  deplorable  state,  morally  and 
otherwise,  of  the  ordinary  students'  lodging-houses  for 
men. 

The  Hostels  in  Kojimachi  and  Kanda  for   Girls, — A 


56  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

similar  work  to  that  which  was  begun  in  a  small  way  by 
Miss  Weston  and  Miss  Hasegawa,  and  afterwards  de- 
veloped by  the  W.M.A.  of  the  S.P.G.,  was  undertaken 
in  1898  by  the  C.M.S.  Tokyo  committee.  In  the 
autumn  of  the  year  Miss  Carr  and  Miss  Brownlow  opened 
a  Hostel  for  Girls  in  the  district  of  Kanda.  Students 
from  the  High  School  attached  to  the  Higher  Normal 
College  attended  their  Christian  classes,  and  they  averaged 
about  nine  girls  as  boarders,  all  belonging  to  upper- 
class  families.  The  house,  which  was  convenient  and 
roomy,  was  unfortunately  not  the  Society's  property, 
and  therefore  in  1900  Miss  Carr  and  Miss  Worthington 
were  obliged  to  seek  fresh  quarters  for  their  hostel.  A 
permanent  habitation  was  specially  desirable  in  Tokyo, 
but  the  state  of  the  society's  finances  imposed  stringent 
conditions.  After  a  few  weeks  spent  in  temporary 
quarters  a  move  was  made  in  June,  1900,  to  the  present 
house  in  Hirakawa  Cho,  Kojimachi.  This,  which  was 
taken  on  a  lease  with  right  of  sale,  is  partly  Japanese 
and  partly  foreign,  and  fairly  convenient,  being  near  to 
the  Peeresses'  School.  It  was  thus  able  to  take  in  a 
few  students  who  attend  this  school,  as  well  as  some 
belonging  to  other  schools  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it 
could  no  longer  meet  the  requirements  of  the  former 
students  and  friends  living  in  Kanda. 

It  was  to  supply  this  deficiency,  and  because  the  board- 
ing-house system  was  already  giving  encouraging  results, 
that  in  1902  a  second  hostel  was  opened  at  Misaki  Cho, 
Kanda,  under  the  charge  of  Miss  Reid.  Her  house  was 
excellently  situated,  but  was  cramped  for  space.  She 
has  had  many  applicants,  and  there  was  great  sorrow 
this  summer  when  it  was  known  that  the  hostel  might 
be  given  up.  In  December  last  (1904)  Miss  Worthing- 
ton, who  has  been  in  charge  with  Miss  Langton  of  the 
Kojimachi  hostel  since  Miss  Carr's  breakdown  in  health 
and  return  home  in  1901,  was  to  go  home  on  furlough. 


THE    WORK    OF    THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     57 

This  house  was  the  larger,  and  was  the  Society's 
property.  It  was  therefore  deemed  advisable  for  Miss 
Reid  and  Miss  Langton  to  join,  and  for  a  time  at  least 
to  give  up  the  second  hostel  in  Kanda.  A  class-room, 
however,  near  to  her  old  house,  has  been  secured,  where 
Miss  Reid  can  still  give  her  English  and  Bible  classes. 
She  will  therefore  keep  in  touch  with  most  of  her 
former  pupils  and  friends. 

Evidence  has  been  forthcoming  during  these  years  of 
the  spiritual  value  of  these  boarding-houses.  To  those 
who  come  from  non-Christian  homes,  the  Bible  is  an 
unknown  book  and  Christian  teaching  is  not  desired. 
But  many  learn  to  take  a  heartfelt  interest  in  the  new 
teaching.  They  prove  eager  to  learn,  and  anxious  to 
discontinue  at  home  the  observances  which  they  recog- 
nize as  wrong.  From  time  to  time  individuals  profess 
the  Faith  and  receive  Baptism.  In  many  other  cases 
it  may  confidently  be  believed  that  the  seed  of  eternal 
life  once  sown  in  their  hearts  will  spring  up  and  bear 
fruit  in  the  years  to  come. 

Both  in  Kojimachi  and  in  Kanda  the  Mission  ladies, 
in  addition  to  the  superintendence  of  the  boarding- 
houses  and  the  giving  of  secular  and  Christian  instruc- 
tion to  boarders  and  outside  pupils,  assist  greatly  as 
"  parish "  workers  of  the  Mission  churches  in  their 
neighbourhood.  In  Kanda,  Miss  Reid  and  her  house- 
hold attended  the  services  of  All  Saints'  of  the  American 
Episcopal  Church,  this  being  the  church  nearest  to  them. 
In  the  "  parish  "  work  of  this  church  she  was  also  able 
to  give  some  assistance.  Indirect  evangehstic  work  has 
been  carried  on  by  friendly  intercourse  with  the  friends 
and  relatives  of  past  and  present  pupils,  who  tend  to 
gather  round  each  hostel. 

The  war  has  done  much  to  bring  together  teachers 
and  pupils,  friends  and  acquaintances,  and  the  hostels 
have  become  centres  of  sympathy  and  help  to  Japan  in 


58  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

her  terrible  crisis.  In  Tokyo  the  war  was  brought 
continually  before  the  eyes  of  all.  Soldiers  were  con- 
stantly to  be  seen  entraining  for  the  front,  full  of  en- 
thusiasm for  their  country's  cause,  and  hundreds  of 
the  same  brave  men  were  seen  returning  to  fill  the 
hospitals.  The  impressive  spectacle  of  the  mihtary 
funeral  was  a  constantly  recurring  sight. 

The  war  came  home  to  each  class.  From  the  princes 
and  nobles  of  the  highest  rank  to  the  working-man 
with  children  and  relatives  dependent  upon  him — none 
are  exempted.  Kipling's  lines  would  excite  a  smile 
here  of  pity  for  our  poor  idea  of  duty.  .  .  .  *'  Duke's  son 
cook's  son,"  etc.  Why,  they  one  and  all  go  as  a  matter 
of  course,  the  Emperor  needs  them  ;  no  one,  neither 
old  mother,  nor  wife,  far  less  an  employer,  would  dream 
of  holding  them  back. 

Priests  are  not  excused  from  military  service,  be  they 
Christian,  Buddhist,  or  of  the  state  religion,  Shintoism. 
This  is  only  to  be  expected,  yet  it  seemed  a  strange  thing 
to  witness — the  seeing  off  and  wishing  "  God-speed  " 
to  a  Christian  clergyman  departing,  with  his  detachment 
to  the  front,  as  a  sergeant  in  a  line  regiment !  The 
Rev.  P.  Y.  Yamada  is  on  the  South  Tokyo  diocesan 
committee,  and  is  priest-in- charge  of  the  Japanese  con- 
gregation of  St.  Andrew's  church.  He  is  one  of  the 
senior  clergy  of  the  Sei  Kokwai,  and  has  for  some  years 
had  the  care  of  the  St.  Andrew's  boys'  school  in  his 
house  ;  but  he  is  also  upon  the  reserves,  having  already 
served,  as  a  corporal,  in  Kumamoto  barracks  during  the 
v/ar  of  1894-5.  It  was  hoped  that  he  would  not  be  called 
on  again  for  service,  but  in  October  last  he  was  sum- 
moned to  barracks. 

The  Missions  of  the  Sei  Kokwai  all  took  a  share  in  the 
work  of  succouring  the  returned  invalids  from  the  war, 
or  in  that  of  providing  necessaries  and  comforts  for 
those  in  the  field,  or  joined  in  the  work  of  seeing  after 


A  SOLDIER  OF  THE  LINE 

In  the  same  detachment  as  the  Rev.  P.  Y.  Yamada.     This  man  was  in 
Mr.  Pahiier's  PoUee  class  and  is  also  a  Christian.      The  uniform 
is  dark  blue  with  yellow  facings. 
By  kind  permission  of  G.  Palmer. 


THE    WORK    OF   THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     59 

the  needs  of  the  famihes  left  behind.  Sometimes  the 
members  of  the  missions  assist  with  Japanese  and  foreign 
ladies  to  roll  bandages  in  schools  or  elsewhere  for  the  Red 
Cross  Societies ;  and  everywhere  missionaries,  teachers, 
residents,  students  and  school-children  alike  are  to  be 
seen  knitting  the  woollen  cholera  belts  and  socks  which 
are  demanded  in  wholesale  quantities ;  in  trains  and 
trams,  at  social  gatherings,  at  drawing-room  lectures, 
in  no  place  and  at  no  time  were  the  knitting  needles 
absent.  Many  of  the  women  missionaries  in  Tokyo 
were  members  of  the  "  Imonkwai,"  a  very  large  Japanese 
society  with  Princess  Mori  as  president,  which  provided 
for  the  due  visiting  and  relief  of  every  family  left  behind 
by  the  soldiers  and  sailors.  Every  household  which 
had  sent  a  man  to  the  front  received  regular  visits  of 
inquiry  and  sympathy,  and  where  monetary  help  was 
needed  it  was  given  without  delay. 

Hospital  visiting  and  lantern  shows  for  the  convales- 
cent were  carried  on  systematically,  and  in  Tokyo,  as 
elsewhere,  they  were  the  means  of  conveying  Christian 
sympathy  to  many  a  wounded  man.  The  worst  cases 
did  not  come  so  far  as  Tokyo  ;  the  men  who  returned 
as  wounded  or  sick  were  already  on  their  way  to 
recovery. 

In  Kojimachi  hospital,  which  was  visited  two  or  three 
times  a  week  by  ladies  of  the  C.M.S. ,  there  were  thirteen 
wards,  with  about  forty  men  in  each.  The  hospital 
was  always  full,  owing  to  the  constant  stream  of  in- 
valids which  came  up  from  Hiroshima  and  Kiiishiu  and 
passed  on  later,  as  they  get  better,  to  the  Toyama 
hospital  or  to  others  in  the  country.  During  the  sum- 
mer flowers  and  illustrated  papers  were  taken  to  the 
men,  but  no  direct  Christian  work  could  be  done.  Later 
on  the  singing  of  hymns  in  the  wards  became  a  regular 
feature  of  the  visits.  The  authorities  also  willingly 
allowed  the  missionary  clergy,  foreign  and  Japanese, 


6o  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

to  go  with  the  ladies  and  talk  to  the  men  of  each  ward. 
The  patience  and  good  temper  of  the  men  were  most 
striking. 

The  lantern  pictures  were  welcomed  with  delight. 
These  consisted  of  a  few  royalties  or  celebrities,  some 
amusing  pictures,  pictures  of  flowers  and  scenery,  one  or 
two  English  cathedrals,  and  then  Bible  pictures  were 
shown.  The  stillness  that  came  over  the  ward  when 
the  Story  was  told  was  most  impressive.  At  Christmas 
time  the  catechists  of  the  Society  in  Tokyo  and  all  over 
the  country  helped  to  write  a  private  letter  to  each 
inmate  of  the  hospital.  Thus  the  500  men  each  re- 
ceived a  Christmas  letter,  a  Christmas  card,  and  a 
prayer-card  (from  England),  together  with  bunches  of 
flowers  for  each  ward. 

Another  scene  might  have  been  witnessed  at  the 
Toyama  hospital,  which  was  visited  by  Miss  Ballard 
and  Miss  Pringle.  Here  the  men  were  convalescent, 
and  already  waxing  rather  boisterous  with  returning 
health  and  the  long  ennui.  Two  large  rooms  were  full 
of  men  sitting  upon  their  heels  in  native  fashion,  with 
the  lantern  sheet  hung  in  the  open  doorway  between 
the  two  wards,  and  keen  interest  was  shown  on  every 
face.  The  Emperor's  portrait  came  first,  for  which  all 
stood  as  they  sang  with  vigour  the  national  hymn. 
The  foreign  scenes  of  Gibraltar,  Egypt,  with  the  Suez 
Canal,  and  other  places  on  the  line  of  the  route  of  the 
Baltic  Fleet  excited  interest  and  amusement ;  the  two 
or  three  pictures  which  followed,  of  Christ's  Life  and 
Death,  were  received  in  reverent  silence.  Then  the 
lights  were  put  up,  tracts  were  given  out  and  then  a  wild 
rush  was  made  for  the  leaflets.  The  wistful  looks  of 
those  who  asked  if  we  had  no  more,  testified  to  the  wel- 
come with  which  the  Christian  literature  was  received. 
The  tracts  consist,  for  the  most  part,  of  extracts  from  the 
Bible,  or  are  the  Gospels  bound  separately. 


THE    WORK    OF    THE    S.P.G.    AND    C.M.S.     6i 

The  war  did  not  check  the  I\Iissions,  but  it  changed 
some  of  the  methods  by  which  it  was  sought  to  reach 
the  people  ;  and  though  the  missionaries  could  not  but 
lament  the  misery  that  it  brought  in  its  train,  they  were 
thankful  for  the  great  wave  of  mutual  sympathy  which 
carried  away  some  of  the  barriers  of  prejudice  and  in- 
difference. They  could  thank  God  also  for  the  spirit 
of  earnest  inquiry  into  the  Christian  teaching  relating  to 
human  life  and  death,  which  was  conspicuous  in  many 
different  quarters. 


CHAPTER  VI 

St.  Andrew's  and  St.  Hilda's  Community  Missions 
AT  Tokyo 

The  need  for  Educational  Missions — Bishop  Bickersteth's  desire 
for  Community  Missions — The  aims  of  the  two  Missions — 
The  members  of  St.  Andrew's  Mission  to-day  (and  dates  of 
joining) — The  work  of  St.  Andrew's  Mission  as  carried  on 
to-day  :  i.  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Shiba — 2.  Tlie  Japanese 
Pro-Cathedral,  also  St.  Andrew's  Mission-rooms,  boys' 
school,  and  hostel  for  Divinity  students — 3.  St.  Barnabas' 
Church,  Ushigome — 4.  Church  of  Good  Hope,  Mil  a — 5. 
Holy  Cross  Church,  Kyobashi — 6.  St.  Stephen's  Church, 
Azabu — 7.  Mission-room  and  "  Ragged  School,"  Shina- 
micho — 8.  St.  Mary  Magdalen,  Shinagawa. 

The  Missions  of  S.  Andrew  and  St.  Hilda  were 
founded  by  Bishop  Bickersteth  in  1887  and  were  the 
outcome  of  his  scheme  to  estabhsh  in  Japan  communities 
of  both  men  and  women  after  the  manner  of  the  Univer- 
sity Missions  in  India.  St.  Andrew's  he  designed  to  be 
for  graduates  of  universities,  and  St.  Hilda's  for  ladies  of 
culture  as  well  as  of  devotional  life  and  zeal.  For  this 
end  the  Guild  of  St.  Paul  was  inaugurated  in  England, 
and  has  since  maintained  through  its  subscribed  funds 
the  work  of  these  communities.  Since  1900  these 
Missions  have  been  formally  associated  with  the  S.P.G. 
The  object  of  the  Bishop  was  to  reach  by  means  of 
these  Missions  the  educated  classes  of  Tokyo,  which 
would  also  form  a  useful  centre  for  general  Mission  work. 
He  had  proved  the  good  results  of  establishing  University 
Missions  in  India,  and  thought  that  the  labours  of  the 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS    63 

C.M.S.  and  S.P.G.  could  be  supplemented  by  like 
Missions  in  Tokyo,  where  educational  problems  were 
coming  to  the  fore.  It  may  be  well  to  consider  briefly 
the  educational  conditions  then  prevalent  in  this  new 
capital. 

In  1886  an  offer  of  educational  work  in  Mr.  Fukuzawa's 
celebrated  Japanese  school  had  been  made  to  the  Rev.  A. 
Lloyd.  As  an  individual  he  felt  that  he  could  only  take 
partial  advantage  of  this  opening  for  Christian  influence, 
and  before  the  Bishop  left  England  he  wrote  to  him 
a  letter  in  which  he  urged  the  desirability  of  establishing 
in  Tokyo  a  University  Mission. 

The  needs  of  the  new  generation  of  Japanese  women 
were  equally  pressing.  Japanese  history  as  far  back  as 
it  goes  has  given  an  honourable  place  to  women.  Five 
Empresses  have  ruled  in  their  own  right.  A  woman  was 
the  first  historian.  Artists  of  skill  and  scholarship  have 
been  found  among  Japanese  women.  The  spread  of 
Buddhism,  the  introduction  of  Chinese  literature,  and, 
above  all,  the  strong  influence  of  the  Confucian  scholars 
brought  about  a  change,  and  in  the  sixteenth  century 
the  Japanese  women  lost  their  former  positions  of 
respect  and  equality. 

Since  then  the  women  of  Japan  have  had  few  educa- 
tional advantages.  The  Restoration  of  1868  brought 
rapid  and  startling  changes  in  the  lives  of  all  classes 
of  women.  The  establishment  of  pubHc  primary 
schools,  of  government  middle  and  high  schools,  of 
higher  normal  schools,  of  the  Peeresses'  school  in  Tokyo 
for  the  daughters  of  the  nobility  and  upper  classes, 
altered  within  a  generation  the  whole  condition  of 
female  education.  These  changes  have  brought  per- 
plexing problems  in  their  train.  One  is  "  the  difliculty 
of  keeping  the  beauty  and  refinement  of  the  old  system 
along  with  the  broader  and  newer  ideas  and  the  freedom 
of  thought  and  action  which  come  from  the  culture  of 


64  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

the  intellectual  powers."  Other  problems  again  are 
connected  with  the  social  position  of  women.  Questions 
of  marriage  and  divorce  have  been  left  to  custom,  through 
lack  of  civil  codes  upon  such  matters,  though  education 
has  done  much  to  change  pubHc  opinion  ;  the  lessening 
influence  also  of  the  Buddhist  religion,  which  looked 
down  on  woman  and  regarded  her  as  full  of  impurity, 
has  resulted  in  the  raising  of  her  position  in  society. 

Christianity  has  done,  and  is  doing,  much  for  the 
elevation  of  woman,  and  will  undoubtedly  do  more. 

In  view  of  these  needs  the  Community  Mission  of  St. 
Andrew  is  endeavouring  (i)  by  means  of  a  divinity 
school  to  train  up  men  for  the  native  ministry  of  the 
Church  ;  (2)  to  organize  other  lectures  and  classes,  e.g. 
night  schools  for  "  the  inquirers  "  and  younger  baptized 
members  of  the  Church  ;  (3)  to  evangehze  by  itinerating 
preaching,  and  by  meetings  in  and  near  Tokyo  ;  (4) 
to  open  out,  as  opportunity  affords,  fresh  centres  of 
work. 

The  Community  Mission  of  St.  Hilda  is  endeavouring 
(i)  to  provide  schools  for  the  young ;  (2)  to  undertake 
hospital  work  and  evangelistic  visiting ;  (3)  to  train 
Japanese  women  missionaries  and  helpers  for  the  evan- 
gehzation  of  their  country  people. 

The  Rev.  L.  B.  Cholmondeley,  who  had  come  out  as 
the  Bishop's  chaplain,  was  the  first  (in  1887)  to  join  the 
St.  Andrew's  Mission.  During  the  next  three  years 
the  Revs.  A.  F.  King,  F.  E.  Freese,^  and  Herbert  Moore 
joined  the  Mission.  In  1890  the  Rev.  C.  G.  Gardener 
joined.  He  had  already  been  working  in  Japan  under  the 
S.P.G.  He  resigned  from  St.  Andrew's  in  1898.  Between 
1891  and  1894  the  Mission  was  re-enforced  by  the  Revs. 
L.  F.  Ryde,2  W.  F.  Madeley,  and  A.  E.  Webb.  The 
response  to  Bishop  Bickersteth's  appeal,  although  he 

1  Took  charge  of  St.  Andrew's,  Yokohama,  in  1892. 

2  Resigned  in  iSgq. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS    65 

was  himself  a  Cambridge  man,  came  at  the  beginning 
from  the  sister  university,  which  was  represented  by 
these  first  seven  members  of  the  newly  established 
mission.  However,  in  1896  Mr.  Basil  Woodd,  of 
Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  joined  the  Mission  as  a  lay 
associate.  Mr.  Woodd  returned  to  England  in  1899 
and  has  since  returned  to  Japan,  after  taking  Holy 
Orders,  to  undertake  work  in  Osaka  under  the  C.M.S. 

From  the  Church  in  Canada,  and  from  Trinity  College, 
Ibronto,  in  particular,  have  come  the  further  rein- 
forcements. In  1895  the  Mission  was  joined  by  the 
Rev.  WilUam  C.  Gemmill,  and  in  1901  by  the  Rev.  W. 
H.  Mockridge. 

The  members  of  St.  Andrew's  Mission  are  in  charge 
of  various  Church  centres  and  other  spheres  of  Mission 
influence  both  in  Tokyo  and  the  surrounding  neighbour- 
hood. Besides  the  work  originating  with  this  Mission 
they  have  since  Archdeacon  Shaw's  death,  in  March, 
1902,  undertaken  the  superintendence  of  the  whole  of 
the  work  connected  with  the  S.P.G.  in  Tokyo.  In  con- 
sequence, the  Society  now  gives  grants  in  aid  of  the 
stipends  of  these  missionaries,  pending  a  more  per- 
manent  arrangement. 

The  present  work  of  the  two  Missions  may  be  sum- 
marised as  follows  : — 

I.  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Shiba,  Tokyo. — ^This  church 
was  first  built  in  1879  for  the  Japanese  congregation 
in  charge  of  the  late  Archdeacon  Shaw  of  the  S.P.G. 
It  was  a  pretty  red  brick  structure,  towards  the  building 
of  which  the  English  residents,  through  Sir  Harry  Parkes, 
the  British  Minister,  made  a  generous  contribution. 
Covered  with  creepers  and  occupying  an  elevated 
position  at  one  corner  of  the  Shiba  park  in  the  midst 
of  the  city,  it  soon  became  a  picturesque  landmark  for 
that  quarter  of  Tokyo.  But  unfortunately  this  first 
church  was  destroyed  by  the  severe  earthquake  of  1894, 

F 


66  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

and  had  to  be  succeeded  by  a  temporary  one  of  wood, 
which  occupied  the  same  ground.  The  flower  beds  and 
closely  clipped  lawn  of  St.  Andrew's  Mission  House 
surrounding  it  make  a  pretty  enclosure  ;  but  those  who 
remember  the  former  building  are  ill  content  with  its 
present  substitute. 

Since  1881,  when  Archdeacon  Shaw  was  made  first 
chaplain  to  the  British  Legation/  it  has  been  used  also 
as  the  English  Church  in  Tokyo,  the  Rev.  A.  F.  King 
having  charge  of  the  English  services.  Until  the  Easter 
of  this  year  the  services  for  both  Japanese  and  English 
congregations  were  conducted  in  St.  Andrew's ;  now,  as 
the  Japanese  Sunday  congregation  is  too  large  for  the 
church,  their  Sunday  morning  services  are  held  by  the 
Bishop's  permission  in  a  large  building  called  the 
"  pro -cathedral." 

From  time  to  tim.e  the  Japanese  and  English  congre- 
gations have  added  to  the  internal  fittings  of  the  Church 
of  St.  Andrew's. 

2.  The  Japanese  ''  pro-Cathedral." — This  is  a  wooden 
structure  built  upon  ground  adjoining  St.  Andrew's 
Church,  and  known  as  "  the  cathedral  ground  "  at  Shiba. 
Its  purpose  being  to  provide  larger  room  for  diocesan 
needs  until  a  permanent  church  can  take  its  place,  it 
has  been  built  according  to  the  most  feasible  design  for 
the  space  at  command.  Apart  from  the  chancel,  which 
ends  in  a  slightly  raised  apsidal  recess  that  forms  this 
sanctuary,  the  measurements  are  practically  square  ; 
yet  the  lofty  open  roofing  gives  a  satisfactory  sense  of 
proportion.  The  interior  is  well  lighted  and  ventilated, 
and  in  spite  of  its  manifestly  temporary  character,  its 
simple,  spacious  proportions  induce  a  certain  feeling  of 
restfulness. 

Outside  the  two  churches  look  well  together  as  seen 

1  Upon  his  death,  in  1902,' the  Rev.  L.  B.  Cholmondeley  was 
appointed  Legation  chaplain. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS     67 

through  the  separating  trees  and  shrubs ;  neither 
dwarfs  the  other,  nor  are  they  in  too  close  proximity. 

Closely  connected  with  the  church  are  St.  Andrew's 
Sunday  schools,  night  schools  and  English  club  ;  at  the 
Mission  Rooms,  St.  Andrew's  hostel,  and  St.  Andrew's 
boy's  school : — 

(i)  The  Mission  Rooms,  attached  to  St.  Andrew's 
House,  and  formerly  known  as  St.  Andrew's  "  divinity 
school."  The  "school"  was  started  soon  after  the 
Mission  was  founded,  and  ceased  about  five  years  ago 
through  the  lack  of  students.  The  rooms  in  the  school 
house  were  kept  empty  for  two  years,  and  were  then 
placed  in  the  charge  of  the  Rev.  William  C.  Gemmill  and 
used  as  a  boarding-house  for  Christian  young  men  going 
to  college  or  business. 

In  this  boarding-house  there  is  a  constant  change  of 
members.  Eleven  men  can  be  housed  at  a  time,  and 
it  has  already  proved  most  successful  in  giving  a  Chris- 
tian home  to  many  an  isolated  young  Christian  man 
living  for  the  time  in  Tokyo.  The  lower  rooms  of  the 
building  are  used  as  Mission  rooms,  for  Sunday  schools, 
the  night  school,  and  English  club,  etc.  The  Church 
and  parish  meetings  are  likewise  held  there. 

The  "  night-school  and  English  club,"  which  has 
been  going  on  for  many  years,  is  a  prominent  feature 
of  St.  Andrew's  Mission  work,  and  exercises  an  influence 
for  good  among  an  increasing  circle  of  students  and 
younger  men  of  Tokyo.  Students  from  the  higher 
government  schools  and  the  higher  commercial  schools, 
cadets  from  the  neighbouring  military  barracks,  attend 
its  classes,  and  take  part  in  the  debates  which  are  held 
from  time  to  time  in  English.  Christians  and  non- 
Christians  are  here  brought  into  friendly  social  discus- 
sion ;  and  the  intercourse  here  begun  is  often  maintained 
long  after  they  leave  Tokyo.  This  '*  English  Club  " 
meets  every  night  for  an  hour,  on  five  nights  for  lessons 


68  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

in  English  and  for  a  Bible  class  upon  Saturday  night. 
Upon  two  nights  after  the  English  lesson,  a  lecture  on 
some  Christian  subject  is  given  to  the  class.  Members 
often  bring  with  them  their  friends.  As  many  as  fifty 
have  been  on  the  club  list  at  one  time,  and  sixty  to 
seventy,  with  outside  friends,  have  been  present  at  the 
debates. 

(2)  St.  Andrew's  boys'  school  was  started  about  ten 
years  ago  with  two  or  three  little  boys.  It  is  sup- 
ported by  St.  Paul's  Guild  and  the  S.P.C.K.  and  has 
now  ten  boys  living  with  their  master,  the  Rev.  P.  S. 
Yamada,  who  is  also  the  pastor-in-charge  of  the  Japanese 
congregation  of  St.  Andrew's  Church.  These  boys  (of 
Christian  parents)  are  educated  at  the  ordinary  schools 
and  under  the  care  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yamada,  are  trained 
in  the  hope  that  they  will  afterwards  devote  themselves 
to  missionary  work  as  catechists  ;  should  they  wish  to 
do  so  they  pass  on  into  the  divinity  hostel.  Of  Mr. 
Yamada's  past  boarders,  three  young  men  are  now  in 
the  hostel  preparing  to  be  catechists  or  clergy. 

(3)  St.  Andrew's  hostel  for  divinity  students,  formerly 
"  St.  Andrew's  divinity  school "  and  revived  under 
this  new  name,  was  restarted  in  1902  under  the  Rev. 
John  Imai's  guidance.  At  first  Mr.  Imai  had  six 
students,  who  lived  near  to  his  own  house  until  the  hostel 
could  be  built.  The  house  in  which  they  were  had 
formed  part  of  the  former  St.  Andrew's  orphanage,  but 
when  that  became  no  longer  necessary  it  was  removed 
and  a  larger  house  was  carefully  designed  for  the  pur- 
pose of  the  hostel.  There  are  now  nine  students  training, 
and  encouraging  accounts  are  given  of  its  condition  and 
prospects.  Mr.  Imai,  the  principal,  and  himself  in  former 
years  a  divinity  student  of  St.  Andrew's,  does  much 
of  the  teaching.  The  students  go  for  some  of  their 
lectures  to  the  divinity  school  of  the  American  Mission  ; 
and  Mr.  Imai  is  one  of  the  lecturers  in  that  institution. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS    69 

A  past  student  of  this  hostel  has  received  a  scholar- 
ship from  Trinity  College,  Toronto,  and  has  gone  there 
for  a  four-years  course.  His  first  impressions  Mr.  Iwai 
has  sent  in  a  paper  contributed  to  the  South  Tokyo 
diocesan  magazine  of  August,  1904. 

3.  St.  Barnabas'  Church,  Ushigome,  Tokyo. — Ushigome 
is  a  part  of  Tokyo  lying  away  from  the  main  thorough- 
fares of  the  city,  and,  unlike  Shiba,  owns  no  park  nor 
celebrated  temple  to  form  an  attraction  to  foreign  tour- 
ists or  to  Japanese  crowds.  But  its  streets  are  hvely, 
typical  and  picturesque.  It  is  a  residential  quarter  of 
the  Japanese  nobility,  and  the  military  college  and  the 
normal  school  and  university  make  it  an  important 
centre  of  Japanese  education.  The  Rev.  W.  B.  Wright, 
who  with  the  late  Archdeacon  Shaw  was  one  of  the  two 
first  S.P.G.  missionaries  sent  out  to  Japan  in  1873,  was 
the  first  to  start  a  Mission  in  Ushigome  some  twenty- 
five  years  ago,  but  since  then  Missions  of  six  other 
denominations  have  commenced  working  in  this  densely 
populated  district.  Mr.  Wright  resigned  in  1882,  and 
the  work  was  then  placed  in  charge  of  St.  Andrew's 
Mission  ;  in  1887  ^he  district  passed  into  the  care  of  the 
Rev.  L.  B.  Cholmondeley,  and  has  thus  continued  to  be 
a  branch  mission  of  St.  Andrew's. 

In  1879  ^^^'  Wright  built  a  church  for  his  congrega- 
tion, but  the  work  under  Mr.  Cholmondeley,  assisted  by 
the  Rev.  W.  F.  Madeley,  progressed  so  well  that  in  1897 
a  larger  and  handsomer  church  was  opened  in  view  of 
the  increasing  needs  of  this  district.  This  new  church 
was  dedicated  to  St.  Barnabas,  and  towards  its  building 
a  generous  donation  of  £410  was  given  by  a  lady  in 
England,  and  a  further  sum  of  ^^84  was  given  by  the 
Lincoln  Branch  of  St.  Paul's  Guild  in  memory  of  the 
late  Mrs.  Venables  of  Lincoln.  Shortly  afterwards  a 
Japanese  dwelling-house  close  to  that  used  for  the 
parish  room  and  night-school  and    conveniently  near 


70  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

to  the  new  church  was  secured ;  the  two  buildings  were 
connected  and  turned  into  a  mission  house  for  the  clergy, 
and  the  old  church  building  was  for  a  time  used  as  a 
school  and  parish -room,  but  has  since  been  given  up. 

The  night-school  and  the  Young  Men's  Association 
connected  with  St.  Barnabas'  Church,  both  of  which 
date  from  early  days  of  the  Mission,  have  done  much 
to  draw  together  the  younger  men  who  come  into  con- 
tact with  the  clergy  and  catechists.  There  are  weekly 
and  monthly  classes  and  meetings  for  English  and  Bible 
study,  which  are  usually  well  attended.  Many  of  the 
members  of  the  night-school  and  association  are  non- 
Christians,  some  of  whom  are  thus  led  to  become  "  in- 
quirers "  and  to  attend  services  at  the  church. 

Since  1893  Miss  Ballard,  an  associate  of  St.  Hilda's 
Mission,  has  lived  in  Ushigome  and  has  given  valuable 
assistance  to  Mr.  Cholmondeley  in  visiting  and  in  Chris- 
tian work  among  the  women  of  the  district.  Miss 
Pringle,  also  a  St.  Hilda's  associate,  has,  for  the  last  two 
years,  been  living  near  to  St.  Barnabas'.  At  first  in 
Miss  Ballard's  house — during  her  furlough — and  after- 
wards in  a  larger  house  she  had  boarding  with  her  eight 
or  ten  students,  who  for  the  most  part  belonged  to  the 
ladies'  university,  which  is  not  far  off.  Now  that  St. 
Hilda's  has  opened  a  hostel  for  students  near  to  that  uni- 
versity. Miss  Pringle  is  once  more  in  Miss  Ballard's 
house  taking  the  Ushigome  work,  while  Miss  Ballard 
does  country  work. 

4.  Church  of  Good  Hope,  Mita. — In  this  district  of 
Tokyo  is  situated  the  great  private  university  founded 
by  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  one  of  the  foremost  of  Japan's  earher 
progressive  educationists.  Here,  as  has  been  said, 
the  late  Archdeacon  Shaw  and  the  Rev.  A.  Lloyd,  then 
on  the  staff  of  the  S.P.G.,  held  classes,  and  carried  on 
Christian  work  among  the  teachers  and  students  in  a 
small  Japanese  house  rented  for  the  purpose  in  the 


GROUP  OF  PUPILS. 
By  kind  permission  of  Miss  Ballard. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS   71 

district.  Mr.  Lloyd  at  his  own  expense  fitted  up  a 
small  chapel  in  the  university  compound,  in  which  for 
two  years  services  in  Japanese  and  Enghsh  were  held. 
Those  in  English  were  for  the  benefit  of  the  foreign 
Christian  teachers  helping  at  the  University.  The 
congregation  increased  so  much  that  in  a  short  time  a 
church  was  thought  necessary.  Through  the  kindness 
of  a  friend  of  Mr.  Lloyd,  a  little  church,  named  the 
Church  of  Good  Hope,  was  built  in  1888  near  to  the 
school,  at  a  cost  of  £70. 

In  1890,  upon  Mr.  Lloyd's  leaving  for  Canada,  the 
church  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Rev.  H.  Jeffreys. 
Since  his  time  the  members  of  St.  Andrew's  Mission  have 
had  the  oversight  of  it,  the  Rev.  W.  C.  Gemmill,  who 
also  lectures  at  the  university,  being  the  priest-in-charge. 
The  congregation  is  largely  composed  of  students,  and 
is  consequently  a  varying  one.  Indeed,  much  of  the 
Christian  work  among  them  has  now  drifted  to  St. 
Andrew's  House,  as  the  "  inquirers  "  and  Christians 
among  the  students  more  frequently  attend  St.  Andrew's 
services  and  classes.  But  a  small  house  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  church  at  Mita  has  always  been  hired. 
Classes,  meetings,  and  preaching  for  non-Christians 
have  been  actively  carried  on,  and  there  is  also  a  small 
library  for  use  of  the  students  and  inquirers.  Within 
the  last  year  Mr.  Gemmill  has  lately  been  trying  to 
collect  funds  to  build  a  house  as  church-house  and 
catechist's  residence  in  the  same  compound  as  the 
church. 

5.  Holy  Cross  Church,  Kyohashi. — ^This  church  in  the 
heart  of  the  city  was  built  originally  by  the  Rev.  W.  B. 
Wright.  The  Rev.  F.  E.  Freese  was  in  charge,  1890-3, 
the  Rev.  A.  F.  King  from  1893-1900,  and  since  then  it 
has  been  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  C.  N.  Yoshizawa. 

6.  St.  Stephen's  Chtirch,  Ichi-no-hashi,  Azabii. — The 
Mission-house  was  rented  for  an  "  Enghsh  club,"  ante- 


72  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

cedent  to  the  present  St.  Andrew's  "  English  club  "  as 
early  as  1888.  Christian  work  in  this  district  of  Tokyo 
was  originally  begun  by  the  Congregationalists,  but  some 
years  ago  the  Mission  bought  from  them  their  preaching- 
house,  and  have  adapted  part  of  the  building  as  a 
chapel-of-ease  for  St.  Andrew's,  using  the  other  part 
for  a  catechist's  house  and  school-room.  The  work  in 
the  Azabu  district  has  so  prospered  of  late  years  that 
St.  Stephen's  is  now  a  separate  charge  of  the  Japanese 
clergy  of  St.  Andrew's. 

7.  The  Mission-Room  and  "  Ragged  School "  in 
ShinamichOy  a  part  of  Tokyo  answering  to  the  east-end 
of  London,  originated  about  1890,  from  a  famine  relief 
fund  raised  by  Archdeacon  Shaw.  The  "  Ragged 
School  "  was  begun  by  a  Mr.  Naito  as  a  work  of  Chris- 
tian philanthropy.  Being  in  the  ist  Reserves,  Mr. 
Naito  was  recalled  to  the  colours  as  a  non-commissioned 
officer  at  the  beginning  of  the  Russian  war,  and  was 
one  of  the  victims  of  the  transport  Hitachi  Maru.  His 
loss  has  been  keenly  felt  by  the  Shinamicho  Mission 
and  schools.  Together  with  the  Rev.  A.  E.  Webb,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  one  or  other  of  the  divinity 
students,  the  school  had  been  carried  on  by  Mr.  Naito 
for  some  years  and  made  most  successful.  More  than 
seventy  street  urchins  are  taught  daily  in  the  new 
school-room,  which  is  light  and  airy,  and  much  larger 
than  the  old  quarters.  The  school  has  been  carried 
on  for  twenty  years,  always  by  soldier-teachers.  There 
is  no  other  school  in  the  neighbourhood  for  the  children 
to  go  to,  and  its  good  influence  has  been  recognized  by 
the  authorities  and  is  regarded  most  favourably  by 
the  police,  this  part  of  the  city  being  one  of  the  poorest 
and  most  depraved.  Although  described  as  '*  nonde- 
script "  the  school  can  yet  glory  in  "  its  Speech-day  and 
Sports,"  and  on  that  day  at  least  the  little  scholars  have 
a  special  "  scrub  up  "  for  the  occasion. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS    73 

A  new  Mission-house  had  to  be  built  about  the  same 
time  as  the  school.  With  the  funds  collected,  and 
by  the  timely  promise  of  the  S.P.G.  to  be  responsible 
for  the  ground-rent,  this  was  successfully  done.  The 
Sanctuary  can  be  screened  off  by  the  Japanese  sliding 
doors  when  the  room  is  not  used  for  a  service,  and  the 
Mission  is  thus  enabled  to  hold  Church  services  in  the 
room  as  reverently  and  decorously  as  in  a  building 
entirely  devoted  to  the  purpose. 

8.  St.  Mary  Magdalen,  Shinagawa. — Shinagawa,  a 
suburb  of  Tokyo,  lies  along  the  sea-shore  on  the  road  to 
Yokohama.  It  has  rapidly  grown  in  size  and  importance, 
and  bids  fair  to  become  a  great  manufacturing  centre. 
Shinagawa  was  famous  in  years  gone  by  as  containing 
the  chief  execution  ground  of  the  city,  and  as  such  it 
may  be  the  spot  where  many  Japanese  Christians  died 
for  the  Faith  under  the  Tokugawa  persecutions.  Round 
this  place  was  grouped  a  small  village  of  the  Eta  or 
pariah  class  of  Japan.  The  Eta  people  were  an  outcast 
race,  whose  origin  is  obscure,  to  whom  were  assigned 
duties  that  none  other  would  undertake,  e.g.  those  of 
executioners,  the  preparation  of  leather  and  the  dis- 
posal of  the  dead.  Work  among  the  Eta  was  begun  by 
the  S.P.G.  through  Archdeacon  Shaw  and  the  Rev. 
J.  Imai  in  1880.  Ten  years  later  a  church,  originally 
built  by  the  American  Presbyterian  Mission,  but  whose 
congregation  had  fallen  away,  was  purchased  by  sub- 
scription, and  is  now  used  for  the  Mission  services. 
The  funds  for  the  support  of  this  work  have  been  chiefly 
supphed  by  Mr.  Plummer,  a  former  S.P.G.  missionary. 
The  church  when  bought  was  repainted  inside  and  out, 
and  has  a  handsome  appearance.  The  name  chosen  in 
dedication  was  that  of  St.  Mary  Magdalen,  the  special 
notoriety  of  the  neighbourhood  giving  this  title  a  special 
significance.  The  site  was  formerly  temple  property, 
and  there  still  remains  in  the  front  court-yard  of  the 


74  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

church  a  sacred  pine-tree  known  from  old  as  the  "  tor- 
toise pine." 

A  portion  of  the  church  building  can  be  screened  off, 
enabhng  it  to  be  used  for  classes,  etc.  It  can  be  easily 
understood  that  work  in  this  district  has  proved  very 
difficult,  and  it  is  only  of  late  years  that  the  confidence 
of  the  poor  down-trodden  Eta  class  has  been  in  any 
measure  won.  For  the  last  two  years  Mr.  Imai  has 
been  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Yoniji  Yamagata,  and  both 
he  and  Mr.  Imai  have  worked  with  moderate  success 
among  the  people  of  the  neighbourhood  other  than  the 
"  Eta  "  class.  In  this  they  have  been  much  assisted 
by  the  older  divinity  students.  ^ 


;.4^*':.i«  >*< 

^H 

liS 

A  PILGRIM  STARTING   FOR   THE   HOLY   MOUNTAIN 
Nikko  1904 
By  kind  permission  of  G.  Palmer. 


CHAPTER  VII 

St.  Andrew's  and  St.  Hilda's  Community  Missions 
AT  Tokyo  (continued). 

Early  days  and  the  growth  of  St.  Hilda's  ^lission — j\Iiss  Thorn- 
ton's death — The  work  of  the  Mission  at  present  carried  on 
— Its  schools  and  other  evangelistic  work  in  Tokyo. 

Before  giving  a  sketch  of  the  work  now  carried  on  by 
St.  Hilda's  Mission,  it  will  be  necessary  to  say  a  few 
words  about  the  start  and  early  days  of  the  community. 

The  Bishop's  great  wish  was  to  found  a  Mission  on 
Church  principles  but  not  on  party  lines.  Miss  Thornton 
and  Miss  Braxton  Hicks  as  first  members  of  the  Mission 
were  welcomed  by  the  bishops  in  Tokyo  in  December, 
1887.  Many  candidates  offered,  but  it  was  only  pos- 
sible to  accept  a  few.  A  list  of  the  present  staff  of  the 
Mission  will  be  found  in  the  S.P.G.  annual  report. 

The  Mission  buildings  are  situated  upon  rising  ground, 

within  a  few  minutes'  walk  of  St.  Andrew's  Church. 

The  members'  house  and  the  "  High  School  "  for  girls 

were  twice  enlarged  within  the  first  ten  years  to  meet 

the  increasing  demands  of  the  work,  and  since  then 

there  have  been  still  further  additions.     In  the  same 

compound,    secured    for    the    community    by    Bishop 

Bickersteth,  various  buildings  have  been  erected  from 

time  to  time,  e.g.  the  training  school  for  mission  workers, 

the  industrial  school,  and  the  orphanage.     But  these 

extensions  have  not  entirely  taken  away  the  garden  nor 

some  fine  old  trees  that  together  afford  a  dehghtful, 

welcome  and  restful  shade  to  the  busy  inmates. 

75 


76  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

The  last  alteration  has  added  a  new  wing  to  the 
original  house  for  the  use  of  the  foreign  and  Japanese 
members,  teachers,  and  certain  divinity  students  ;  also 
an  enlarged  chapel,  into  which  have  been  removed  the 
carved  oak  altar  and  chancel  screen  that  were  in  the 
old  chapel.  The  chapel  is  used  daily  by  the  members, 
the  mission  workers,  and  the  pupils  for  various  services. 
The  warden,  chaplain,  and  Japanese  clergy  hold  services 
within  it  which  are  open  to  foreign  and  Japanese  ladies 
other  than  those  directly  connected  with  the  Mission. 

As  can  be  judged  from  the  frequent  need  for  enlarged 
premises,  St.  Hilda's  Mission  has  been  constantly 
growing,  but  before  summarizing  the  work  carried  on 
to-day,  mention  should  be  made  of  the  medical  work 
which  was  begun  in  1888.  A  hospital  was  arranged 
within  the  compound,  with  twenty  beds,  and  two  dis- 
pensaries, which  acted  as  centres  for  district  nursing  in 
different  parts  of  the  city.  As  an  evangelistic  agency 
it  did  good  work.  It  was  for  this  reason  the  more  re- 
gretfully given  up  eleven  years  later,  when  the  efficiency 
of  the  Japanese  hospitals  and  their  dispensaries  had 
done  away  with  the  urgent  need  for  foreign  medical 
work  in  Tokyo. 

To-day  St.  Hilda's  Mission  work  stands  as  follows  : — 

(i)  The  "  Joshi  Shingakko,"  or  school  for  the  train- 
ing of  Japanese  women  as  mission  workers.  These  re- 
ceive a  three-  or  four- years  course  of  theological  study, 
combined  with  some  further  secular  education  to  fit 
them,  upon  graduation,  to  be  missionary  workers. 
During  the  last  year  or  two  of  their  course  the  students 
assist  in  the  evangelistic  work,  under  supervision.  It 
is  expected  of  them  that  after  graduation  they  should 
remain  in  the  service  of  St.  Hilda's  Mission  for  two 
years,  in  return  for  their  training.  In  their  separate 
Japanese  house,  presided  over  by  a  Japanese  matron, 
the   students    themselves   do   all   the   domestic  work. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS    ^^ 

taking  turns  in  the  cooking.  These  girls  come  of  good 
middle -class  families,  and  receive  with  their  missionary 
training  a  fair  Japanese  education.  The  aim  in  this 
divinity  school  is  to  fit  them,  not  only  for  their  duties  as 
Mission  workers,  but  as  suitable  wives  for  catechists 
of  the  Sei  Kokwai  when  occasion  arises. 

There  are  at  present  eleven  students  in  the  school  ;  a 
few  others,  who  have  had  a  better  education,  live  in 
St.  Hilda's  House  and  have  the  advantage  of  the  English 
classes  in  the  girls'  school  while  they  are  taking  the 
theological  course.  These  girls  and  certain  workers 
live  with  the  community  ;  but  they  eat  Japanese  food, 
and  their  bedrooms  are  constructed  in  Japanese  fashion. 

Other  dioceses  besides  that  of  South  Tokyo  have  a 
share  in  the  benefit  of  this  school.  One  student  has 
recently  been  trained  for  Bishop  Foss,  of  the  diocese  of 
Osaka,  and  he  has  now  sent  two  more  to  the  school. 
Recently  there  were  two  students  in  training  for  the 
American  Episcopal  Mission.  For  the  missionary 
society  of  the  Canadian  Church  (M.S.C.C.)  St.  Hilda's 
has  four  students  in  training. 

This  divinity  school  is  one  of  the  most  important 
features  of  St.  Hilda's  work.  From  the  first  evangelistic 
work  was  the  object  of  the  Mission  ;  the  hospital  and 
dispensaries  proved  a  means  to  this  end,  and  from  those 
earlier  efforts  has  grown  this  important  school.  The 
need  of  it  was  early  discerned  by  Bishop  Bickersteth, 
who  entrusted  its  organization  to  Miss  Thornton.  Her 
labours  of  nearly  seventeen  years  have  borne  fruit  which 
is  recognized  with  gratitude  to-day. 

Miss  Thornton  has  now  passed  away  from  the  Mission 
she  loved  so  devotedly.^  Missionaries  and  residents 
alike  of  the  Anglo-American  community  in  Tokyo 
united  with  Japanese  of  nearly  every  social  grade  in 
doing  honour  to  her  memory,  and  in  witnessing  to  its 

1  November  13,  1904. 


yS  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

power  and  their  own  sense  of  loss.  Crowds  attended 
the  funeral  services  in  St.  Andrew's  pro -cathedral,  and 
followed  the  procession  of  clergy,  choir  and  mourners  to 
the  grave  in  the  Aoyama  cemetery.  It  is  hard  to  describe 
what  her  loss  has   been  to  the  Mission  of  St.  Hilda's. 

(2)  Evangelistic  work  has  been  undertaken  in  various 
parts  throughout  the  city  and  country.  The  widely 
scattered  Church  centres  in  the  districts  of  Azabu, 
Shinamicho,  Mita,  Kyobashi,  Shinagawa,  and  Ushigome 
all  receive  aid  from  the  Mission.  The  work  among 
women  and  children,  Sunday  school  teaching  and  visit- 
ing, is  for  the  most  part  carried  on  by  the  members  of 
St.  Hilda's,  aided  by  Japanese  hcensed  workers  and 
students  who  have  been  trained  in  the  St.  Hilda's 
divinity  school.  The  Mission  also  helps  in  S.P.G.  work 
at  Yokohama  and  Numazu,  in  the  villages  of  Hadano 
and  Oyama,  and  throughout  the  Chiba  ken,  or  Prefecture. 
Occasional  visits  are  paid  to  the  Bonin  Islands,  which 
are  under  the  charge  of  the  S.P.G.^ 

(3)  The  girls'  school  is  a  "  High  school  "  for  young 
ladies.  The  pupils,  who  are  admitted  from  ten  years 
old,  have  a  high-class  Japanese  education  on  modern 
lines.  Many  of  the  subjects  are  taught  in  English, 
such  as  elementary  science  and  Swedish  drill.  Japanese 
sewing  is  taught  to  all  the  pupils  ;  flower-arrangement 
and  drawing,  still  considered  essential  accomplishments, 
are  taken  as  extra  subjects.  Much  attention  is  paid 
to  games,  and  St.  Hilda's  was  the  first  school  in  Tokyo 
to  play  hockey.  These  Japanese  schoolgirls  quickly 
show  both  interest  and  skill  in  their  play.  Such  Western 
games  as  tennis  and  hockey  help  to  brighten  the  wits 
and  strengthen  the  delicate  physique  of  the  upper-class 
schoolgirls.  Their  life  under  the  old  regime  was 
confined  and  enervating,  while  the  education  of  the 
present  day  tends  to  unduly  stimulate  their  mental 

^  See  footnote  in  chapter  on  work  at  Kobe. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS   79 

powers,  unless  with  the  studies  is  given  healthy  outdoor 
exercise  to  develop  the  body  and  brain. 

The  school  has  about  100  girls,  with  twenty  boarders. 
The  staff  consists  of  ten  Japanese  teachers  besides  the 
foreign  missionaries.  The  fees,  which  are  only  four 
shillings  a  month,  cover  half  the  current  expenses  of 
the  school.  Last  year  a  grant  of  £400  from  the  St. 
Paul's  Guild  enabled  the  Mission  to  build  five  more  light 
and  airy  class-rooms,  and  to  add  some  more  sleeping 
accommodation  for  boarders. 

The  pupils  in  the  school  receive  Christian  teaching, 
and  the  boarders  attend  morning  and  evening  prayers  in 
St.  Hilda's  chapel ;  on  Sundays  they  go  to  St.  Andrew's 
church,  i.e.  the  pro-cathedral.  Many  of  the  pupils  have 
become  Christians.  Others  long  to  follow  their  example, 
but  their  parents  refuse  permission.  The  marriage 
question  often  bars  the  way  until  the  prospective 
husband  (or  rather  his  mother  !)  is  found  to  be  willing. 

On  the  staff  also  are  to  be  found  "  inquirers  "  and 
catechumens  ;  and  indirect  results  may  be  hoped  for 
from  the  influence  in  later  years  of  those  who  are  now 
receiving  Christian  education  upon  sound  Church 
lines.  The  girls'  school  is  worked  upon  a  different  method 
from  the  divinity  school,  but  its  aims  are  the  same. 
Cases  are  reported  of  girls  telling  their  relatives  and 
friends  of  the  Christian  Faith.  The  indirect  influence 
of  a  younger  generation  may  help  in  the  near  future 
toward  breaking  down  the  barriers,  social  and  political, 
which  have  been  raised  by  the  old  religions. 

(4)  An  industrial  school  is  carried  on,  in  which  em- 
broidery and  Japanese  needlework  are  taught.  It 
has  been  developed  to  help  Christian  girls  to  earn 
their  own  living,  for,  with  many,  refusal  to  marry 
unbelievers  and  other  conscientious  motives  force 
them  to  seek  independent  livelihood.  In  1890  the 
problem    was    partly    solved    by    the    opening    of    a 


8o  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

school  for  English  needlework  ;  this  prospered  greatly 
under  Miss  Bullock's  care,  and  three  years  later 
the  teaching  of  Church  and  other  embroidery  was 
started.  The  school  is  now  established  as  one  of  the 
works  of  the  Mission.  It  has  solved  the  distressing 
problem  for  many  a  brave  young  Christian  thrown  sud- 
denly upon  her  own  resources,  and  it  has  met  a  growing 
necessity  of  the  Church  by  its  supply  of  exquisitely 
worked  altar  frontals,  altar  linens,  stoles,  etc.,  which 
cannot  otherwise  be  obtained  in  the  country.  Em- 
broidery is  very  popular  with  the  girls  and  with  their 
parents,  and  it  is  also  a  very  lucrative  trade  in  Japan. 
Any  girl  who  graduates  from  St.  Hilda's  embroidery 
school  can  earn  her  own  living.  The  orders  coming 
in  for  Church  embroidery  testify  to  a  desire  to  have  "  all 
things  decent  and  in  order  "  among  the  native  clergy 
and  congregations. 

There  are  twenty-five  girls  in  the  school,  and  of  these 
the  greater  number  of  senior  girls  can  support  themselves 
by  their  embroidery.  The  four-years  course  enables  them 
to  gain  a  certificate  qualifiying  them  to  be  teachers. 
The  assistant  teacher  is  herself  a  graduate  of  four  year's 
standing.  The  girls  are  given  religious  instruction,  and 
on  two  afternoons  a  week  they  have  ordinary  school- 
lessons.  Many  of  them  having  passed  through  the 
orphanage  are  already  Christians,  and  have  received 
an  elementary  school  education.  Miss  Thornton  in  one 
of  her  reports  noted  that  "  not  the  least  satisfactory 
part  of  this  embroidery  work  is  the  fact  that  it  brightens 
the  girls'  intellects  and  makes  them  keen  and  interested. 
...  A  brighter  and  happier  set  of  girls  it  would  not  be 
easy  to  find."  The  training  to  earn  an  independent 
livelihood  affords  joy  to  the  Japanese  girl  of  to-day,  on 
whom  the  yoke  of  the  past  customs  and  duties  presses 
heavily. 

(5)  The  John  Bishop  Orphanage  and  School  for  Girls. 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS     8i 

— ^This  work  was  started  in  1892,  and  three  years  later  a 
separate  building  was  provided  within  the  compound 
by  the  late  Mrs.  Bishop,  the  noted  traveller,  in  memory 
of  her  husband. 

The  school  provides  a  home  and  education  for  destitute 
orphans.  The  minimum  age  is  six,  and  it  is  customary 
for  the  girls  when  they  are  fifteen  years  old  to  pass  on 
into  St.  Hilda's  industrial  school,  or  to  go  into  domestic 
service.  The  elder  girls  are  taught  domestic  duties, 
and  the  little  children  attend  outside  schools.  The 
orphanage,  which  began  with  a  small  number,  has 
now  twenty-three  children. 

(6)  The  Old  Women's  Home. — This  Home  has  grown 
from  a  small  house  rented  in  Azabu,  opened  as  a  shelter 
for  two  or  three  aged  Christian  women  in  extreme 
poverty.  In  that  crowded  district  there  was  constant 
dread  of  fire,  and  in  1901  a  house  with  its  own  garden 
was  built  within  ten  minutes'  walk  of  St.  Hilda's  Mis- 
sion. Away  from  the  squalor  of  their  old  surroundings, 
the  little  compound  in  its  shady  lane  affords  a  "  quiet 
resting-place  "  and  almshouse  for  eight  or  nine  very  old 
and  infirm  Christian  women.  The  inmates  do  various 
kinds  of  easy  work,  such  as  the  making  of  fans  and 
match-boxes,  and  so  earn  a  little  each  month. 

There  are  eleven  with  the  matron  ;  they  have  their 
separate  little  rooms,  a  kitchen,  and  a  small  chapel. 
The  house,  built  in  Japanese  fashion,  is  airy,  light  and 
clean.  The  Home  is  entirely  supported  by  friends  in 
Japan. 

(7)  The  work  among  students  at  Koishikawa  con- 
sists of  English  teaching  in  the  women's  university  in 
the  Koishikawa  district  of  Tokyo,  together  with  a 
hostel  and  the  giving  of  Bible  teaching  to  students. 
The  "  Joshi  Dai  Gakko  "  is  a  large  college  of  over  1,000 
girls,  established  by  a  Japanese  educational  council,  the 
growth   and   success  of  which,  .have  been  remarkable. 

G 


82  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Nearly  600  girls  are  in  the  college  department,  and 
about  500  in  the  lower  classes,  or  school.  When  the 
opportunity  offered  about  two  years  ago  for  one  of  the 
members  of  St.  Hilda's  to  be  on  the  staff  of  teachers 
at  the  college,  the  work  was  undertaken  by  the  Mission 
as  affording  a  great  opening  for  reaching  this  important 
class  of  young  Japanese  women.  Most  of  the  students 
in  the  college  department  are  preparing  for  teaching  ; 
they  come  from  all  parts  of  the  country  and  are  as 
keenly  interested  in  all  the  student  topics  of  the  day 
as  their  sisters  of  the  West  in  America  and  in  England. 
In  1902  a  temporary  step  was  taken  by  the  Mission 
to  supply  a  want  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  Christian 
students  at  the  college,  when  Miss  Pringle  in  Ushigome, 
which  is  not  far  away,  took  a  few  of  them,  together  with 
students  from  other  schools,  as  boarders  in  her  own 
house.  A  Christian  hostel  has  since  been  built  near  to 
the  college,  with  a  member  of  the  Mission  in  charge. 
This  opening  of  Christian  boarding-houses  for  students 
has  met  a  need  felt  by  young  girls,  children  and  older 
women  students,  who  are  being  educated  in  Tokyo.  It 
may  be  added  that  the  St.  Hilda's  hostel  for  women 
students  is  already  proving  its  justification  as  a  new 
and  outljdng  branch  of  the  Mission's  work.  The  care 
of  the  students  actually  living  in  the  hostel  is  only  a 
small  part  of  the  work.  The  house  has  a  wider  use  as  a 
centre  to  which  students  from  the  College,  and  other 
schools  in  the  neighbourhood,  may  come  for  Bible  teach- 
ing. In  the  College,  as  in  other  pubhc  schools,  the 
education  is  purely  secular,  no  religious  teaching  being 
allowed  ;  but  the  students  may,  if  they  obtain  per- 
mission from  their  parents,  attend  Bible-classes  held 
outside  the  college  on  Sundays,  and  numbers  of  students 
avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity.  The  house  is 
built  entirely  on  Japanese  plans,  with  rooms  for  twenty- 
five  students  besides  those  for  the  missionary-in-charge 


ST.  ANDREW'S  AND  ST.  HILDA'S  MISSIONS     83 

and  the  Japanese  matron,  the  guest-room,  kitchen  and 
offices,  and  class-rooms  for  Bible  lessons  and  meetings. 
The  number  of  pupils  in  the  hostel  during  this  first  term 
gives  promise  for  its  future  success. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Church  Work  at  Osaka 

Sketch  of  its  progress  and  present  centres  of  C.M.S.  work — 
Preaching-halls — Evangelistic  Mission  at  the  Exhibition- 
Mission  schools — Osaka  sub-districts  and  Mission  out- 
stations  (summary). 

I.  Osaka  was  one  of  the  treaty  ports  opened  in  1858  to 
foreign  residence  and  trade.  From  the  time  of  Hide- 
yoshi  onwards  it  has  been  a  city  of  importance,  and 
since  its  opening  to  Western  commerce  it  has  become 
second  in  size  and  the  principal  commercial  city  of  the 
Empire. 

To  this  place  came  the  Rev.  C.  F.  Warren,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1873,  as  the  first  C.M.S.  missionary  to  central  Japan. 
The  acquisition  of  the  language  and  his  duties  as  chap- 
lain for  the  English  community  at  Kobe  occupied  most 
of  his  time  at  first,  but  gradually  the  tiny  chapel,  or 
Mission-room,  adjoining  his  house  became  a  centre  of 
evangelistic  effort  and  gathered  within  its  walls  the 
nucleus  of  the  future  Church.  Though  the  edicts 
against  Christianity  had  been  withdrawn,  it  was  as  yet 
impossible  to  procure  within  the  city  a  building  for 
Mission  purposes,  excepting  within  the  confined  area 
of  the  foreign  concession  ;  but  crowds  came  there  to 
hear  the  new  doctrine,  and  within  eighteen  months  from 
his  first  preaching  Mr.  Warren  had  the  joy  of  baptizing 
his  first  six  converts. 

For  the  next  few  years  Mr.  Warren,  joined  by  the 

84 


CHURCH    WORK    AT   OSAKA  85 

Rev.  H.  Evington  ^  in  1876,  carried  on  encouraging 
work  both  in  the  city  and  in  some  of  the  surrounding 
villages  of  the  Osaka  plain. 

In  the  inns  and  the  wayside  tea-houses,  in  the  houses 
of  the  newly  baptized,  and  at  the  Mission  chapel  on 
the  concession,  interested  hearers  gathered  to  listen, 
who  soon  became  "  inquirers  "  ;  then  families  of  twos 
and  threes  received  Holy  Baptism,  thus  adding  to  the 
number  of  Church  members  ;  and  by  June  of  1877  as 
many  as  seventeen  Japanese  Christians  were  confirmed 
by  Bishop  Burdon  of  Hongkong  on  his  second  visit  to 
Japan.  This  service  was  held  in  the  newly  dedicated 
Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  which  had  replaced  the 
smaller  chapel.  This  church  has  since  been  twice  en- 
larged ;  in  1881  it  was  removed  bodily  to  a  short  dis- 
tance, and  six  years  later  was  rebuilt  and  erected 
on  a  larger  scale  on  ground  acquired  by  the  Society 
in  the  city. 

Meanwhile  a  second  church  had  been  built  and  was  be- 
coming a  further  centre  of  Christian  effort.  This  was  the 
Church  of  the  Saviour — originally  a  dwelling-house  inter- 
nally fitted  up  as  a  Mission  church — which  was  opened  for 
service  in  October,  1879.  Its  little  congregation  at 
the  start  included  several  of  those  formerly  attending 
Holy  Trinity  Church.  When,  five  years  later,  in  1884, 
the  Home  Committee  of  the  C.M.S.  made  a  grant  to  the 
pastorate  fund  of  the  Church  at  Osaka,  "  lay  pastors  " 
were  appointed  to  these  Churches ;  the  congregation  of 
Holy  Trinity  engaging  to  pay  the  whole  of  its  pastor's 
salary,  and  the  other — the  much  smaller  and  younger 
congregation — making  itself  responsible  for  half  the 
sum  needed.  The  Church  Council  of  these  congrega- 
tions guaranteed  as  well  nearly  half  the  expenses  con- 
nected with  the  native  catechist  and  the  evangelistic 
work  of  the  two  Churches.     Until  this  time  there  had 

1  Now  Bishop  of  Kiushiu. 


86  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

been  no  regularly  appointed  catechist  at  Osaka.  In 
1887  some  lay  pastors  were  ordained,  and  in  due 
course  received  priest's  orders,  thus  freeing  the  foreign 
missionaries,  the  Revs.  C.  F.  Warren,  H.  Evington, 
G.  Pile  and  G.  Chapman — the  last  two  arriving  in 
1881  and  1884  respectively — for  other  duties. 

Both  the  Church  of  Holy  Trinity  and  the  Church  of 
the  Saviour  have  become  increasingly  important  and 
influential  centres  of  evangelization. 

Japan  is  an  independent  nation,  and  her  Church 
must  be  her  own.  In  the  same  way  as  her  military  and 
naval  foreign  instructors  have  been  retained  so  long  as 
their  sendees  were  necessary,  so  long  will  she  welcome 
Christian  instructors 

Care,  however,  needs  to  be  taken  lest  the  prospect 
should  be  marred  by  haste  on  the  part  of  both  Japanese 
converts  and  their  foreign  Christian  guides. 

The  desire  of  a  congregation  for  a  nativ'e  pastor,  and 
the  rigid  self-denial  and  zeal  shown  in  view  of  its  attain- 
ment, are  to  be  highly  commended. 

Besides  the  two  older  Churches,  two  newer  Church 
congregations  have  been  since  gradually  formed  in 
different  parts  of  the  city. 

The  Church  of  the  Resurrection  holds  its  services  in  a 
Japanese  dwelling-house,  which,  with  a  few  alterations, 
has  been  adapted  to  the  uses  of  a  church.  About  two 
years  ago  land  was  bought  to  the  value  of  £300,  and  the 
missionary  in  (financial)  superintendence,  the  Rev.  C.  T. 
Warren  (son  of  the  late  Archdeacon  Warren),  hopes 
to  raise  the  remainder  of  the  sum  then  loaned  for  that 
purpose.  The  Rev.  Y.  Mori  is  in  charge,  and  the 
women's  and  children's  classes  and  the  boys'  night- 
school  connected  with  this  Church  are  especially  flourish- 
ing, and  are  under  the  care  of  Miss  Howard,  the  C.M.S. 
lady  missionary  working  in  that  part  of  the  city. 

The  Jonan  Church,  so  called  from  its  situation  which 


CHURCH    WORK    AT   OSAKA  ^y 

is  south  of  the  castle,  is  a  temporary  building  in  the 
style  of  a  foreign  church  with  its  nave  and  chancel. 
The  church  was  founded  by  Archdeacon  Price  about  ten 
years  ago,  when  principal  of  Momoyama  school,  also 
in  this  part  of  Osaka.  He  collected  £20  towards  a 
church  building,  and  under  the  Rev.  W.  R.  Gray  two 
years  ago,  the  congregation  themselves  began  to  add 
to  this  fund  and  to  repay  the  bishop  of  the  diocese  for 
the  cost  of  its  church  land.  The  little  church  is  exer- 
cising an  increasing  Christian  power  and  influence  in 
the  neighbourhood.  The  missionary  in  charge  is 
assisted  by  a  Japanese  deacon,  and  has  been  aided  in 
evangelistic  visiting  and  in  the  women  and  children's 
work  by  Miss  Jackson,  now  Mrs.  Heaslett.  Classes  for 
soldiers  and  for  men  in  commercial  positions  are  carried 
on  with  encouraging  success,  and  the  Sunday  school 
of  sixty  children  gives  especial  hope. 

2.  Evangelistic  Work  at  the  Mission-rooms  and  else- 
where.— Along  with  the  gradual  organization  of  these 
separate  Church  congregations  and  the  establishment 
of  schools,  to  be  referred  to  later,  public  preaching  and 
instruction  classes  have  been  carried  on  at  the  preaching- 
places  in  different  parts  of  the  city.  Special  efforts  have 
also  from  time  to  time  been  made  to  take  advantage  of 
special  opportunities,  to  reach  distinct  classes  of  the 
community.  Under  this  head  may  be  classed  work 
among  the  men  of  the  police  force  of  Osaka,  which  has 
served  as  the  basis  of  similar  work  undertaken  later 
at  Tokyo.  Another  work  is  that  among  the  factory 
hands. 

The  first  preaching- room  was  opened  in  1879  with  a 
book  store  for  the  sale  of  Church  literature  connected 
with  it.  A  second  was  opened  in  the  following  year, 
from  which  grew  the  congregation  of  the  Church  of  the 
Saviour.  In  1900  a  new  and  central  Mission-room  was 
opened  and  built   in  memory  of  Archdeacon  Warren, 


88  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

and  is  known  as  the  "  Warren  Memorial  Hall."  It  has 
separate  class-rooms  and  a  library  attached.  This 
library  and  reading-room  for  Christians  and  inquirers 
were  founded  in  memory  of  the  late  Miss  J.  Caspari,  for 
twenty-three  years  missionary  in  West  Africa  and 
Japan,  who  died  at  Osaka  in  1888.  Some  seventy 
members  attend  the  classes  held  in  the  hall  several 
nights  in  the  week,  for  English  and  for  foreign  singing. 
Bible  instruction  is  also  given  at  every  class  meeting. 
Good  evangelistic  results  are  shown  by  these  classes,  as 
also  by  the  preaching  which  is  conducted  twice  weekly 
in  connexion  with  a  young  men's  night-school.  The 
C.M.S.  book  store  is  now  associated  with  the  Warren 
Hall,  and  its  special  monthly  issue  of  a  Japanese  mis- 
sionary paper,  The  Light  of  the  Warld^  has  an  increasing 
sale  and  Christian  influence  throughout  the  country. 

A  great  impetus  to  evangelistic  work  in  general  was 
given  by  the  twentieth  century  "  Jackyo  Dendo  "  (or 
great  missionary  gathering),  held  in  Tokyo  in  1900,  in 
which  the  C.M.S.  took  a  prominent  part.  The  several 
Church  congregations  at  Osaka  have  become  since  the 
holding  of  the  "  Jackyo  Dendo  "  stronger  and  more 
energetic  centres  of  evangelistic  work.  Another  great 
missionary  effort  was  made  at  the  time  of  the  Osaka 
exhibition. 

During  the  Japanese  national  exhibition,  held  at 
Osaka  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1903,  an  op- 
portunity presented  itself  for  preaching  and  setting 
forth  the  Gospel  of  Christ  to  the  thousands  who  visited 
this  exhibition  from  all  parts  of  the  Empire.  On  this 
occasion  the  "  Missionary  Association  of  Central 
Japan "  ^  determined  to  make  a  united  Christian 
evangelistic  effort.     Ground  was  secured  and  a  con- 

1  Composed  of  the  principal  Protestant  Missions,  and  with 
which  the  Church  Missionary  Society  works  as  an  Associated 
Mission. 


CHURCH    WORK    AT    OSAKA  8q 

venient  and  large  Mission-hall  erected,  in  a  most  pro- 
minent position  exactly  opposite  to  the  main  entrance 
of  the  exhibition. 

From  the  first  the  attendance  was  so  large  that  in 
place  of  three  meetings  a  day,  as  previously  arranged, 
ten  became  necessary.  On  the  first  Sunday  there  was 
an  audience  of  17,000  people,  and  there  was  a  similar 
attendance  on  most  of  the  succeeding  days.  The  shops 
and  various  attractions  in  the  immediate  vicinity  failed 
to  attract  crowds  as  great  as  those  which  were  to  be 
seen  around  the  Mission-hall.  Nor  were  the  people 
reluctant  to  enter  or  to  listen.  Each  meeting  lasted 
about  forty  minutes,  including  one  or  two  speeches  and 
the  singing  of  suitable  hymns.  Volunteers  at  the 
meetings  distributed  special  tracts  and  papers  for  the 
names  of  those  who  desired  to  inquire  further.  Not  only 
at  the  Mission-hall,  but  throughout  the  streets  during 
the  exhibition,  the  sale  of  Bibles  and  Christian  literature 
was  vigorously  pushed  by  the  colporteurs  of  the  Bible 
Societies  and  Osaka  Christian  book  stores.  The  Reli- 
gious Tract  Society  and  the  Japan  Book  and  Tract 
Society  made  donations  in  money  and  pubhcations. 
It  was  calculated  that  207  Bibles,  7,224  Testaments, 
3,619  separate  portions,  and  6,813  copies  of  a  special 
penny  edition  of  the  New  Testament  were  sold  ;  to  the 
exhibition  officials  1,200  free  copies  of  the  last  named 
were  distributed. 

Four  million  people  visited  the  exhibition  during  the 
five  months  it  was  open,  and  the  total  attendance  at 
these  Mission  meetings  amounted  to  246,000,  that  is, 
one  out  of  every  sixteen  visitors  to  the  exhibition  entered 
the  Mission-hall.^ 

1  The  large  sign  board  over  the  Mission-hall  with  the  text 
"  Come  and  see  "  in  Japanese  characters  doubtless  attracted 
the  notice  of  numbers.  It  was  observed  that  the  meetings  under 
that  sign  became  the  subject  of  conversation  in  the  bazaars  and 
stalls  around  the  exhibition. 


90  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

The  five  months  were  divided  into  thirteen  days  of 
"  united  effort  "  by  the  various  Missions  of  the  Associa- 
tion, followed  by  twenty-eight  days  for  each  of  the  five 
groups  of  Missions — the  Episcopal,  the  Baptist,  the 
Congregational,  the  Presbyterian,  the  Methodists,  and 
the  American  Methodist  Episcopal. 

It  is  difficult  to  sum  up  the  result  of  an  evangelistic 
Mission  of  this  kind  conceived  and  conducted  upon  lines 
which  to  some  readers  may  appear  inappropriate  to 
the  cause  advocated.  Definite  results  were  not  looked 
for.  The  purpose  of  an  industrial  exhibition  is  to  show 
to  the  world  objects  of  industry  that  otherwise  would  be 
unknown  or  the  value  of  which  is  misunderstood.  The 
missionary  association,  aware  of  the  crowds  that  would 
flock  from  all  parts  of  Japan  to  this  exhibition,  were  of 
opinion  that  here  was  an  opportunity  for  the  preaching 
of  the  Gospel  to  thousands  of  men  and  women  to  whom 
its  message  was  unknown.  They  succeeded  beyond  their 
expectations  in  making  known  the  divine  message  to 
246,000  souls.  If  the  Mission  be  regarded  as  a  pro- 
clamation the  results  attained  were  encouraging  ;  there 
were  few  tangible  results  in  statistics  which  could  be 
tabulated  under  lists  of  "  earnest  inquirers,"  or  "  bap- 
tized," in  consequence  of  the  Mission.  But  even  from 
this  point  of  view  none  of  the  missionaries  would  regard 
their  labour  as  wasted,  in  view  of  the  twenty  or  more 
persons  whose  baptism  can  be  traced  to  this  Mission. 
One  woman  heard  a  foreign  missionary  preaching  on 
the  Prodigal  Son,  and  stayed  to  hear  other  sermons  ; 
she  is  now  a  regular  and  earnest  attendant  at  church, 
and  is  being  prepared  for  baptism.  Others,  who  at 
home  lived  near  to  Christian  churches,  had  never  heard, 
or  had  never  listened  to,  the  Gospel  before  ;  but,  at  the 
exhibition  Mission  hall  the  Gospel  message  came  home 
to  their  hearts,  and  they  are  now  either  baptized  or 
preparing  for  baptism. 


CHURCH    WORK    AT   OSAKA  91 

The  indirect  influence  exerted  throughout  the  country 
by  the  sale  of  Testaments,  Bibles  and  tracts  cannot  be 
calculated.  A  young  Buddhist,  or  Shinto,  priest  was 
reading  in  a  train  near  to  Sendai  a  New  Testament 
bought  at  the  exhibition  ;  entering  into  conversation 
with  a  missionary  in  the  carriage,  he  told  her  how  at 
Osaka  he  had  heard  of  Christianity  for  the  first  time, 
and  how  he  was  now  diligently  studying  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 

3.  CMS.  Mission  Schools  in  Osaka — The  "  Bishop 
Poole  Memorial  Girls'  School." — A  boarding-  and  day- 
school  for  girls  was  established  by  the  Society's  Mission 
in  1879.  ^^iss  Oxlad,  who  was  in  charge  of  it  at  first, 
began  with  only  fourteen  children.  From  the  beginning 
its  work  was  recognized  as  Christian,  and  very  soon  the 
increase  of  boarders  and  day-girls  outgrew  the  accom- 
modation. Matters  were  made  worse  in  1885  when, 
with  an  increasing  number  of  boarders  and  day-scholars, 
still  smaller  premises  had  to  be  taken  ;  however,  the 
next  year,  through  the  gift  of  a  lady  visiting  Japan,  a 
better  house  was  obtained.  A  httle  later  Bishop 
Poole's  widow  and  Archdeacon  Warren  collected  sub- 
scriptions for  building  a  suitable  boarding-house  and 
class-rooms  for  the  school  in  memory  of  Bishop  Poole's 
episcopate.  The  buildings  were  erected  at  the  cost  of 
£1,500,  as  the  property  of  the  C.M.S.,  and  the  school  was 
carried  on  as  before  under  the  supervision  of  its  mis- 
sionaries. The  Society  for  Promoting  Female  Education 
in  the  East  continued  to  provide  one  of  the  teachers. 
In  1890  the  new  buildings  were  formally  opened  under 
the  title  of  the  "Bishop  Poole  Memorial  Girls'  School," 
and  Miss  K.  Tristram,  B.A.  (London),  was  installed  as 
principal. 

Before  long  the  head  Japanese  teacher  and  some  of 
the  girls  having  been  baptized,  Miss  Tristram  could 
report  that  all  the  elder  girls  in  the  school  were  now 


92  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Christians.  A  Sunday-school  for  poor  children  was 
worked  from  the  school,  and  in  a  few  years  five  of  such 
schools  were  held  every  Sunday  in  different  parts  of 
the  city.  Before  its  removal  to  its  new  home,  the  work 
of  the  school  had  borne  results,  in  spite  of  the  lack  of 
space  from  which  it  had  suffered.  Three  of  the  first 
seven  graduates  undertook  Christian  work  as  bible- 
women  in  Hakkodate,  Gifu,  and  Kumamoto  respectively. 
Another  became  interpreter  to  an  S.P.G.  lady  mis- 
sionary, while  two  remained  at  the  school  as  Christian 
teachers.  The  death  of  a  promising  pupil  in  1885 
and  its  attendant  circumstances  in  the  missionary 
hospital  so  influenced  one  of  the  female  patients  in  the 
same  ward  that  she  and  her  husband  afterwards 
became  Christians  and  members  of  the  Set  Kokwai. 

The  "  Bishop  Poole  memorial  school "  is  a  primary 
and  high  school  combined.  The  whole  course,  primary, 
preparatory,  and  upper  school  takes  eleven  years, 
graduation  from  the  latter  securing  a  certificate  from 
Government  of  higher  degree  than  from  the  Osaka 
Government  girls'  high  schools.  Graduates  from  these 
latter  schools  enter  for  the  higher  Japanese  course  and 
for  English  at  the  "  Poole  memorial  "  school. 

In  1892  a  change  was  made  in  the  Japanese  curriculum 
by  the  modification  of  the  study  of  Chinese  classics  in 
the  character.  The  curriculum  for  the  primary  or 
infant  school  is  the  same  as  in  Government  schools,  and 
is  under  Government  control.  The  whole  school  has 
been  recognized  as  Christian  from  the  beginning.  In 
the  infant  school  the  Society  has  experienced  difficul- 
ties of  late  years  owing  to  the  demand  by  the  Govern- 
ment that  there  should  be  a  teacher  with  higher  certi- 
ficates, and  to  the  demur  which  was  made  in  regard  to 
Biblical  instruction,  in  a  school  under  their  surveillance. 
Fortunately  a  suitable  Christian  teacher  came  forward 
at  the  right  moment.    The  other  difficulty  was  over- 


CHURCH    WORK    AT   OSAKA  93 

come  by  the  firm  attitude  assumed  by  the  missionaries, 
who  were  prepared  to  disband  the  lower  school  rather 
than  relinquish  the  religious  teaching.  The  authorities 
accordingly  gave  way,  and  assented  to  the  instruction 
being  given  as  before,  but  before  school  hours  and  in 
another  part  of  the  building. 

Every  morning,  the  whole  school,  boarders  and  day- 
girls, meet  for  morning  prayers  (hymns  and  school 
litany)  and  then  separate  into  classes  for  Bible  teaching 
before  going  to  their  other  lessons.  The  infants  and 
younger  children  are  taught  by  pictures  and  such  a 
simple  outline  of  Christian  teaching  as  is  given  in  the 
**  Line  upon  Line  "  series.  A  higher  class,  at  the  time 
of  my  visit,  was  learning  from  St.  Matthew's  Gospel, 
and  others,  elder  non-Christian  girls,  were  having  lessons 
from  St.  John's  Gospel  by  the  head  Japanese  teacher. 

Those  who  are  more  advanced  in  religious  teaching 
and  are  Christians  receive  lessons  on  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  whilst  the  highest  class  of  older  Christian 
girls  study  portions  of  the  Old  Testament  under  the 
principal.  There  are  boarders  in  all  three  divisions  of 
the  school,  and  these  have  evening  prayers  with  short 
exposition,  and  on  the  Sunday  attend  Sunday-school 
and  the  services  of  Holy  Trinity  Church. 

There  are  altogether  240  pupils,  fifty-four  of  whom  are 
boarders,  whilst  eighty-five  are  baptized  Christians. 
Their  ages  range  from  six  in  the  infant  school  up  to 
seventeen  or  eighteen  in  the  upper  school.  No  one  is 
ever  urged  to  be  baptized,  but  the  Christian  atmosphere 
and  teaching  exert  a  continuous  influence  ;  "  inquirers  " 
become  baptized  Christians,  and  a  large  proportion  of 
the  graduates  undertake  the  work  of  Mission  helpers. 
Since  the  foundation  of  the  school  there  have  been 
fifty-five  graduates.  Of  these  forty-eight  have,  at 
least  for  a  time,  helped  in  the  Mission  ;  fourteen,  after 
working  as  Mission  helpers  or  teachers  in  different  parts 


94  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

of  the  country,  have  married  Japanese  Christians  ;  five 
have  helped  in  Mission  work  away  from  the  school  for  a 
time  and  have  now  returned,  or  gone  elsewhere  for 
further  study ;  and  nineteen  are  now  actively  working 
for  the  Missions  of  the  Church.^  The  "  Memorial " 
school  has  thus  become  an  agency  both  for  evangeliza- 
tion and  for  the  training  of  native  missionaries. 

In  connexion  with  this  branch  of  Mission  work,  it 
should  be  mentioned  that  the  Bible  Women's  Home, 
opened  in  1891,  has  for  thirteen  years  assisted  the 
C.M.S.  by  training  Japanese  women  for  evangelistic 
work.  Many  of  the  women  who  have  been  through  the 
Home  during  the  thirteen  years  of  its  history  are  now 
working  in  the  various  Mission  spheres  of  the  Society. 
Besides  daily  Bible  teaching  and  other  instruction  given 
by  Miss  Boulton,  lectures  were  given  by  some  of  the 
tutors  of  the  divinity  school  upon  the  Prayer  Book, 
and  Christian  evidences,  etc.  The  women  shared  in 
the  evangelistic  work  of  the  Church  and  the  preaching 
centres  of  the  city,  and  in  the  vacations  they  were 
sometimes  sent  out,  two  together,  to  evangelize  districts 
where  openings  for  work  had  begun  to  appear. 

The  opening  of  the  girls'  school  in  1879  pi"epared  the 
way  for  the  establishment  of  one  for  boys.  For  some 
time  Christian  boys  had  been  allowed  to  attend  the 
girls'  school,  and  when,  in  1884,  this  was  no  longer  pos- 
sible, a  boys'  school  was  opened  in  the  room  at  the 
rear  of  Holy  Trinity  Church.  At  the  end  of  the  year 
there  were  twenty-six  pupils.  In  two  years'  time  a 
building  had  been  purchased,  re-erected  and  adapted 
for  the  purpose  of  boarding-house  and  day-school. 
These  children  of  Christians,  who  paid  for  the  most  part 
their  own  fees,  were  educated  on  Christian  principles 

1  The  work  they  take  up  is  voluntarj^  excepting  for  those 
graduates  who,  as  "  scholars,"  agree  to  work  for  the  CJVI.S., 
in  return  for  help  given  for  two  years. 


CHURCH    WORK    AT    OSAKA  95 

instead  of  being  left  to  the  secular  influence  of  a  Govern- 
ment school.  Although  superintended  by  C.M.S.  mis- 
sionaries this  school  retained  to  the  end  its  independent 
character. 

Since  1897  this  school  and  the  "  Momoyama  Gakuin,'* 
a  high  school  for  boys,  established  in  1890,  have  been 
combined  under  the  name  of  the  latter  institution. 

The  "  Momoyama  Gakuin,"  i.e.  "  Peach-tree  hill 
academy,"  was  opened  in  1890  as  a  boys*  high  school 
and  boarding  school,  under  the  auspices  of  the  C.M.S., 
the  Rev.  T.  Dunn  being  the  first  principal.  It  was 
at  first  carried  on  in  a  disused  Shinto  preaching-place, 
but  after  about  a  year  a  move  was  made  into  new 
buildings  near  Tennoji,  on  the  south-east  side  of  the  city. 
Its  situation,  not  far  from  the  celebrated  Tennoji 
temples  and  their  priestly  precincts,  is  good  and  is 
high  above  the  low-lying  city. 

The  school  has  class-room  accommodation  for  over 
300  boys  and  dormitories  for  forty  boarders.  Arch- 
deacon Price  (at  that  time  the  principal),  writing  in 
1894,  reported  that  all  the  masters  except  one,  who 
taught  Chinese,  and  all  the  boys,  except  two  who  had 
just  graduated,  were  Christians.  There  were  forty-five 
boys,  of  whom  twenty-seven  were  boarders.  This  was 
an  increase  of  ten  on  the  previous  year.  The  school 
continued  to  go  on  steadily.  Thus  the  Rev.  G.  W. 
Rawlings  (now  in  charge  of  the  Jonan  Church,  with 
which  the  school  is  in  close  connexion)  wrote  in  1902 
that  among  the  masters  and  boys  twenty- three  were 
Christians  and  as  many  as  fourteen  were  apparently 
earnest  "  inquirers."  The  Rev.  Basil  Woodd,  who  had 
been  headmaster  since  April,  1903,  reports  after  nearly 
a  year  of  school  work  :  "  Increase  of  numbers,  and 
greater  efficiency  in  teaching,  with  steady  improvement 
in  the  discipline  of  the  school  and  the  religious  life  of 
the  boys." 


96  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

The  new  Government  educational  enactments  of 
1899  affected  the  standing  of  private  schools,  and  caused 
the  Society  to  apply  for  a  Government  licence  as  a 
Government  middle  school.  They  obtained  a  licence 
which  exempted  its  graduates  from  an  almost  prohibi- 
tive entrance  examination  on  passing  into  the  higher 
Government  colleges  to  which  boys  from  private  schools 
have  been  subjected. 

On  the  other  hand,  until  the  school  authorities  ob- 
tained the  higher,  or  major  licence,  their  graduates  were 
unable  to  shorten  and  postpone  their  term  of  military 
service,  nor  were  they  eligible  for  the  Government 
services.  In  spite  of  some  objections  to  the  status  of 
Government  schools  in  the  obligation  to  give  religious 
instruction  only  out  of  school  hours,  and  the  additional 
cost  of  keeping  up  to  the  enjoined  standard  of  effi- 
ciency, the  privileges  stated  above  seem  to  have  fully 
justified  the  school  authorities  in  pressing  for  the  full 
licence  which  they  have  now  obtained. 

But  this  recognition  of  the  school  as  a  Government 
middle  school  has  made  no  change  in  the  religious 
instruction  and  training  of  the  boys. 

Thus,  prayers  and  Bible-class  for  Christians  and  non- 
Christians  may  be  held  at  any  time  apart  from  the  regu- 
lar school  hours.  Sunday  services  may  be  conducted 
in  the  school  buildings  both  for  teachers  and  students  ; 
and  in  ethical  lessons  the  teaching  of  Christ  may  be 
brought  before  the  boys.  This  is  indeed  liberal  treat- 
ment on  the  part  of  a  non-Christian  Government. 

The  Osaka  divinity  school  is  one  of  the  training 
institutions  in  China  and  Japan  which  owe  their  exist- 
ence to  the  late  W.  C.  Jones,  by  whom  the  China  and 
Japan  Native  Church  Mission  Fund  which  bears  his 
name  was  established.  As  soon  as  a  site  was  secured, 
at  the  end  of  1883,  the  committee  of  this  fund  made  a 
grant  of  £2,000  for  the  building,  which  was  at  once  com- 


CHURCH    WORK    AT   OSAKA  97 

menced.  In  a  few  months  it  was  ready  for  occupation, 
and  in  September  of  1884  it  was  formally  opened  by 
Bishop  Poole. 

The  Rev.  G.  H.  Pole  was  the  first  principal  of  the 
school,  and  he  and  his  successors  have  had  the  assistance 
of  their  fellow-clergy  of  the  C.M.S.  as  tutors  and  teachers. 
For  many  years  also  the  school  has  had  the  assistance 
of  the  Rev.  S.  Koba,  at  one  time  in  pastoral  charge  of 
the  Church  of  the  Saviour,  and  of  the  Rev.  P.  Y.  Matsui 
and  Mr.  K.  Yamada.  The  Rev.  G.  Chapman  is  now 
the  principal  of  the  school. 

In  1896  nineteen  students  were  in  training,  and  whilst 
every  effort  was  made  to  render  their  theological  course 
thorough,  pains  were  taken  to  keep  them  inconstant 
touch  with  practical  Mission  work.  They  frequently 
gave  addresses  at  the  four  preaching-places  established 
in  the  city,  and  during  the  vacations  they  were  some- 
times sent  out,  two  together,  on  evangelistic  tours  in 
the  country  districts.^  Archdeacon  Warren's  analysis 
of  the  subsequent  careers  of  seventy-two  students,  who 
by  1896  had  finished  their  course,  will  convey  an  idea 
of  the  importance  and  influence  of  this  school.  While 
eighteen  of  the  students  entering  the  school  during  this 
first  twelve  years  of  its  existence  had  left  before  finish- 
ing their  studies  and  must  be  accounted  as  unsatisfac- 
tory, the  remaining  fifty- four  had  proved  their  sincerity 
in  their  profession  of  the  Faith  and  their  value  in  the 
Mission  field.  Four  had  died  after  bearing  faithful 
testimony  to  their  convictions,  ten  were  in  Holy  Orders, 
three  were  working  and  using  their  influence  for  Chris- 
tianity in  their  secular  employments  (as  railway  manager, 
lawyer  and  doctor),  and  the  rest,  making  thirty-seven, 
were  working  satisfactorily  under  C.M.S.  missionaries 
in  various  parts  of  the  Empire. 

1  See  Japan  and  the  Japan  Mission,  by  Archdeacon  Warren. 
(C.M.S.)  3rd  ed.,  p.  154. 

H 


gS  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Of  those  who  graduated  in  1902,  two  became  cate- 
chists  in  Hokkaido,  one  in  the  south  Tokyo  diocese,  and 
one  at  Hamada  ;  one  went  in  1903  to  Tokushima  to  be 
in  charge  of  the  preaching  district  of  Sanomachi,  another 
(a  married  student)  ^  to  Sakai,  in  the  Matsuye  district ; 
and  another,  coming  from  the  southern  island  of  Kiushiu, 
returned  to  his  home,  to  Nagasaki.  These  students, 
and  future  missionaries  of  the  Sei  Kokwai,  come  from 
all  parts  of  the  Empire — from  Kiushiu  in  the  south- 
west to  Hokkaido  in  the  far  north ;  from  the  ancient 
capital  Kyoto  (where  conservative  principles  still  reign 
supreme)  to  Tokyo,  the  progressive  centre  of  modern 
Japan  ;  from  across  the  mountains  dividing  Matsuye 
and  Hamada  from  us  in  the  south  for  half  the  year,  to 
the  rice -farming  district  of  Boshu. 

5.  Summary  of  out-stations  and  diocesan  sub-districts, 
the  out-growth  of  CMS.  work  at  Osaka. — Osaka  is  the 
parent  C.M.S.  Mission  station.  Three  or  four  sub- 
districts  which  in  the  seventies  and  eighties  formed  only 
preaching  centres  for  country  itinerating  have  now 
their  resident  foreign  clergy,  lay  missionaries  and 
Japanese  catechists.  Others  have  still  to  be  provided 
with  resident  clergy,  but,  by  means  of  the  visiting  clergy 
and  the  zeal  of  the  resident  lay  missionaries  and  Japanese 
helpers,  their  congregations  and  Church  members  are 
growing  yearly  in  numbers. 

Matsuye  and  Hamada  upon  the  Sea  of  Japan  ;  Toku- 
shima, the  busy  port  and  largest  town  in  the  Island  of 
Shikoku,  lying  almost  due  south  of  Osaka,  and  facing 
the  Pacific  Ocean  ;  these  sub -districts,  with  their  clergy 
and  staff  of  assistants,  foreign  and  Japanese,  are  now 
important  centres  of  the  diocese  of  Osaka,  and  are  all 

1  Some  of  these  divinity  students  come  as  married  men,  and 
their  presence  as  residents  amongst  the  others  has  been  shown 
to  be  a  help  to  the  school,  and  their  own  studies  to  be  in^no'wise 
hindered  by  the  fact  of  marriage. 


CHURCH    WORK    AT   OSAKA  99 

worked  by  the  C.M.S.,  under  the  supervision  of  their 
diocesan,  Bishop  Foss,  of  Osaka.  They  were  all 
originally  out-stations  of  the  early  "  eighties." 

Hiroshima  and  Fukuyama  are  towns  upon  the  In- 
land Sea,  where  the  work  which  began  somewhat  later 
in  the  "  eighties  "  has  progressed  steadily.  They  have 
been  under  the  disadvantage  of  losing  for  long  intervals 
their  foreign  clergy.  Of  Hiroshima  an  account  is  given 
in  chapter  x. 

Out-station  work  is  also  carried  on  by  the  C.M.S.  from 
Osaka,  nearer  to  the  city.  Towns  and  villages  lying  all 
around  among  the  rice-fields  in  the  plain  to  the  north 
are  periodically  visited  by  foreign  clergy  and  lady 
missionaries  of  the  society,  and  many  of  the  Mission 
stations  have  catechists  of  their  own,  or  are  regularly 
worked  by  them. 


CHAPTER  IX 
Church- Work  at  some  "  Treaty  Ports  '* 
Yokohama — Kobe — Nagasaki . 
YOKOHAMA 

Yokohama  is  the  chief  seaport  of  Japan,  and  has  a 
population  of  200,000.  It  is  the  largest  of  the  treaty 
ports,  and  is  practically  the  port  of  Tokyo.  It  is  also 
the  place  where  visitors — especially  from  America — 
first  touch  Japanese  soil.  For  these  reasons,  the  foreign 
population  is  more  floating  and  varied  in  nationality 
than  in  any  other  Japanese  town.  As  a  Church  centre 
it  has  been  difficult  to  work.  The  foreign  community 
is  of  varied  races  and  religions  ;  the  native  population 
is  largely  composed  of  classes  who  have  had  their  ancient 
standards  of  religion  and  ethics  confused,  and  too  often 
debased,  by  the  inrush  of  alien  strangers  from  almost 
every  quarter  of  the  globe.  The  Chinese  live  in  their 
own  quarter. 

Sectarian  Missions  from  America  have  occupied 
Yokohama  from  the  time  when,  as  a  treaty  port,  it  was 
exchanged  for  Kanagawa,  being  then  but  an  insignifi- 
cant fishing  village.  In  1881  an  Episcopal  Mission  in 
Yokohama  was  started  by  the  American  Church,  and  in 
1888  a  small  Mission  was  opened  in  connexion  with  the 
S.P.G.  Mission  at  Tokyo.  St.  Andrew's  Church  was 
erectedin  1891,  partly  by  money  leftjnthe  will  of  a 


o  r. 


s  > 


o  « 


CHURCH    WORK    AT    "TREATY    PORTS"    loi 

former  member  of  the  congregation.  But  superintend- 
ence from  Tokyo  proved  to  be  difficult,  and  progress 
was  slow.  From  1892  to  1898  the  Rev.  F.  E.  Freese 
was  resident  here.  He  did  much  to  organize  and  con- 
solidate the  work.  From  this  time  to  1902  there  was 
no  resident  S.P.G.  missionary,  and  the  work  conse- 
quently suffered.  Year  by  year  hundreds  of  educated 
men  are  drawn  to  Yokohama,  and  find  employment  in 
its  business  houses,  offices,  shipping  yards,  customs  and 
courts.  Not  a  few  are  Christians  or  have  come  under 
Christian  influence.  The  Japanese  catechist,  superin- 
tended by  one  of  the  clergy  of  St.  Andrew's  Mission  from 
Tokyo,  which  is  twenty  miles  away,  has  with  difficulty 
kept  together  his  little  congregation  and  has  done 
little  aggressive  work.  The  members  and  evangelistic 
workers  of  St.  Hilda's  community  have  assisted  the 
Mission  at  Yokohama,  but  the  lack  of  a  resident  clergy- 
man has  sadly  hindered  their  efforts.  The  little  Church 
community,  whose  baptized  members  numbered  about 
sixty,  have  been  supported  by  the  foreign  congregation 
of  Christ  Church. 

In  1902  the  S.P.G.  were  able  to  provide  a  resident 
priest,  and  since  the  Rev.  W.  Weston's  arrival  the 
Mission  has  been  making  progress.  Mr.  Weston  has 
endeavoured  to  purchase  a  better  site  for  the  Mission 
church,  with  a  view  to  building  a  larger  church  and 
one  better  suited  to  the  needs  of  the  work.  Liberal 
assistance  has  been  forthcoming  from  the  foreign  resi- 
dents and  from  the  native  congregation. 

Until  the  Mission  has  a  good  central  basis  to  work 
from  and  a  fitting  church  for  its  worship,  no  great 
advance  can  be  made 

Christ  Church,  of  Yokohama,  for  the  use  of  the  foreign 
residents  of  the  Anglican  communion,  scarcely  comes 
within  a  survey  of  missionary  work.  But  its  chaplain's 
duties  are  supervised  by  the  Bishop  of  South  Tokyo, 


102  CHURCH   WORK    IN    JAPAN 

and  the  two  churches — Christ  church  and  St.  Andrew's 
— aid  one  another  from  time  to  time. 

During  the  two  years  between  the  demoHtion  of  the 
old  Christ  Church  in  1899  ^^*^  the  completion  of  the 
new  in  1901,  occasional  early  celebrations  of  the  Holy 
Communion  in  English  were  provided  for  some  of  the 
worshippers  by  the  priest  in  charge  of  the  Japanese 
Mission  ;  in  St.  Andrew's  Church,  members  of  the  English 
congregation  have  supported  liberally  the  financial 
needs  of  the  Mission  Church,  and  have  also  subscribed 
to  the  funds  of  the  Mission  to  the  Foreign  and  Japanese 
Seamen  in  charge  of  the  Rev.  W.  T.  Austen. 

Another  connecting  link  between  the  foreign  and 
Japanese  congregations  of  these  two  Churches  is  the  large 
number  of  Eurasians  in  Yokohama,  some  of  whom  are 
Christians  and  belong,  in  fact,  or  by  right,  to  one  or 
other  of  these  Church  communities.  Some  few  of 
these  take  their  places  more  naturally  with  the 
foreigners,  while  others  go  to  St.  Andrew's,  as  they  prefer 
the  Japanese  language.  Their  positions  in  society  are 
so  various  that  in  no  way  can  the  Eurasian  element 
of  the  population  be  grouped  together ;  Christian 
work  among  them  in  a  quiet  way  was  carried  on 
for  more  than  a  year  recently  by  Miss  Burke,  an 
independent  lady  worker  under  Bishop  Awdry.  She 
has  now  returned  to  evangelistic  work  in  Tokyo,  as 
already  her  special  task  at  Yokohama  has  been  in 
part  accomplished. 

It  remains  to  speak  of  the  Mission  to  Seamen  at  Yoko- 
hama. Here  again  the  work  of  this  society  having  been 
for  many  years  chiefly  among  the  foreign  sailors  of  the 
port,  its  work  only  partially  belongs  to  that  of  the  Sei 
Kokwai.  But  in  the  efforts  that  Mr.  Austen  has  of 
recent  years  been  enabled  to  put  forth  to  reach  the 
Japanese  sailors  at  Yokohama,  he  has  responded  to  a 
very  real  need  of  that  Church,  and  his  Mission  pos- 


CHURCH    WORK    AT    "TREATY    PORTS"    103 

sesses  an  increasing  influence  both  among  Christian  and 
non-Christian  sailors.  Mr.  Austen  has  the  assistance 
of  a  Japanese  catechist  who,  by  means  of  his  own  native 
"  sampan,"  or  boat,  can  visit  most  of  the  Japanese 
steamers,  principally  of  the  Nippon  Ytisen  Kwaisha's 
service  of  merchant  vessels,  that  enter  the  harbour.  Near 
the  Japanese  landing-stage  has  been  rented  a  house  for  a 
Japanese  "  Seamen's  Home  "  similar  to,  though  smaller, 
than  that  for  the  foreign  sailors.  Here  are  provided 
books,  papers,  and  games,  and  here,  too,  are  held  meetings 
and  services  for  the  inquirers.  Before  the  establish- 
ment of  this  branch  of  the  Seamen's  Mission,  quite  a 
number  of  Japanese  Christian  sailors  came  to  Mr. 
Austen's  foreign  Church  services  and  Mission  meetings 
held  in  the  Society  Institute,  most  of  these  men  under- 
standing English  fairly  well. 

Mention  should  also  be  made  of  the  Japanese  Sea- 
men's "  Mission  Club  "  at  Tilbury,  London  (afterwards 
at  Woolwich),  where  of  late  years  in  a  cottage-home, 
under  the  superintendence  of  a  committee,  Japanese 
sailors  have  found  recreation,  and,  to  a  limited  extent, 
inexpensive  and  comfortable  lodgings.  This  Club  has 
been  able  to  provide  for  the  sailors  a  Christian  welcome 
from  their  own  countrymen — the  chaplain,  and  one  or 
two  other  Japanese  gentlemen — and  has  done  for 
Japanese  sailors  in  London  what  our  "  Seamen's  Mis- 
sions "  do  for  our  own  British  sailors  in  foreign  ports. 

For  three  years  the  Committee  of  this  Society — "  for 
Church-work  among  Japanese  seamen  in  British  ports  " 
— secured  from  the  Kyoto  diocese  the  services  of  the 
Rev.  H.  Yamabe  as  their  chaplain.  Its  work  of  pro- 
viding the  sailors  off  duty  with  healthy  forms  of  amuse- 
ment and  of  instructing  as  opportunity  was  given  some 
of  the  hundreds  of  men  visiting  our  English  shores  from 
year  to  year,  made  progress  and  grew  more  and  more 
popular.    These  sailors  of  Japanese  nationahty  were 


104  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

chiefly  of  the  Nippon  Yiisen  Kwaisha  steamships,  which 
run  between  Antwerp  and  Yokohama,  and  on  each 
voyage  stop  for  about  a  week  in  London.  During  the 
last  few  years]also  not  a  few  crews  of  the  Japanese  navy 
have  come  to  England  to  man  their  own  new  ships  of 
war  built  in  England  and  to  take  them  back  to  Japan  ; 
while  the  Queen's  Diamond  Jubilee,  and  later  the  King's 
Coronation  festivities,  were  occasions  when  the  Japanese 
navy  was  duly  represented. 

Lately,  however,  in  consequence  of  the  recent  war, 
the  Japanese  sailors  were  wanted  nearer  home,  and,  tem- 
porarily^only  we  hope,  the  Club  has  been  closed.^  But 
the  six  years  or  so  of  this  Mission's  work  has  already 
borne  Christian  fruit.  Men  have  been  admitted  as 
catechumens,  to  receive  baptism  in  Japan  on  their 
return  home ;  and  among  those  baptized  in  England 
that  of  the  captain  of  a  Japanese  merchant-ship  has 
testified  to  the  Mission's  value  to  the  higher  ranks  of 
seamen. 

KOBE. 

Kobe  lies  250  miles  south  of  Tokyo,  adjoins  the  old 
native  town  of  Hiogo,  and  is  not  far  from  Kyoto,  the 
ancient  capital  of  Japan.  In  importance  as  a  seaport 
it  rivals  if  it  does  not  exceed  Yokohama,  and  like  that 
port  owes  its  foundation  to  the  treaties  of  1868,  making 
it  (or  rather  Hiogo)  a  settlement  and  treaty  port  for 
foreign  residents.  Its  beautiful  and  good  situation  on 
the  shores  of  Osaka  Bay,  the  health  of  its  climate  and 
its  prosperous  trade  have  combined  to  make  it  increas- 
ingly popular  for  foreign  residents.  From  the  first 
missionary  effort  was  made  in  Kobe,  but  principally  by 

1  At  Poplar  also,  and  at  Chiswick,  where  Japanese  crews  were 
waiting  for  the  delivery  of  torpedo  boats  from  Messrs.  Thorny- 
croft's  yard.  Mission  work  was  undertaken  by  missionaries  from 
Tilbury,  with  the  kind  assistance  of  the  Vicar  of  Chiswick. 


CHURCH    WORK    AT    "TREATY    PORTS"   105 

non-episcopal  bodies.  For  two  years,  from  1S74  to  1876, 
the  C.M.S.  had  conducted  services  for  the  EngUsh  com- 
munity; but  when  in  September,  1876,  the  Rev.  H.  J. 
Foss,  M.A.  (now  Bishop  of  Osaka),  and  the  Rev.  F.  B. 
Plummer,  M.A.,  of  the  S.P.G.,  arrived  from  England, 
the  C.M.S.  handed  over  this  duty  and  the  responsibility 
of  Mission  work  among  the  Japanese  to  the  S.P.G.  In 
1878,  through  illness  from  overwork,  Mr.  Plummer  had 
to  return  to  England,  but  already  he  and  Mr.  Foss  had 
baptized  their  first  convert  and  had  laid  some  good 
foundations  for  future  work  ;  also  Mr.  Plummer  had  by 
a  visit  to  the  Bonin  Islands  opened  up  an  important 
missionary  connexion  with  that  far-off  dependency  of 
the  Japanese  Empire.^ 

For  the  next  two  years,  and  at  another  time  for  seven 


1  The  Bonin  Islands  are  a  small  group  lying  about  500  miles 
south  of  Yokohama  ;  they  were  annexed  to  Japan  in  1875.  ^^'hen 
visited  by  Mr.  Plummer,  S.P.G.  missionary  from  Kobe,  in  1878, 
they  were  inhabited  by  imported  Japanese  and  by  a  small  mixed 
population  of  old  settlers — English,  French,  German,  Chinese, 
Ladrone  and  Sandwich  Islanders,  etc.,  all  speaking  English  and 
professing  Christianity,  but  in  reality  intensely  ignorant  and  of 
low  moral  standard.  The  one  learned  person  in  the  community 
— that  is,  able  to  read  or  write — was  a  man  named  Webb,  a 
Churchman,  who  was  accustomed  to  baptize,  marry  and  bury 
people.  Mr.  Plummer  brought  away  with  him  to  Kobe  two 
Ladrone  boys  for  instruction,  and  three  more  boys  followed 
in  the  same  year.  (See  footnote  from  S.P.G.  Digest,  1901.) 
Since  then  others  have  been  brought  over  for  education  in  Kobe. 
The  Christian  work  in  the  Islands  has  been  placed  in  the  charge 
of  St,  Andrew's  Mission,  whose  clergy,  and  also  INIiss  Hogan  of 
St.  Hilda's  Mission,  pay  periodical  visits  once  or  twice  a  year  by 
the  fortnightly  steamers,  and  steady  progress  has  been  made. 
For  many  years  Joseph  Gonzales,  one  of  the  settlers,  has  proved 
himself  a  most  faithful  catechist.  He  is  now  assisted  by  a 
Japanese  fellow  catechist,  and  together  they  are  doing  noble,  but 
terribly  isolated,  Christian  work  among  the  settlers  and  Japanese 
colonists,  who,  in  spite  of  inter-marriage,  largely  remain  separate 
communities.  Praiseworthy  efforts  are  being  at  present  made 
by  the  Christians,  who  in  all  number  about  eighty,  to  raise  a 
fund  for  the  support  of  a  resident  clergyman  and  the  building 
of  a  church. 


io6  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

years  (from  1883  to  1890),  though  the  situation  needed 
only  workers  to  make  decided  progress,  aUke  in  the  town, 
in  the  countryside,  and  across  the  bay  in  the  Island 
of  Awaji,  Mr.  Foss  was  left  well  nigh  single-handed. 
Nevertheless,  the  work  went  forward  with  success,  and 
small  companies  of  Christians,  gathered  in  various 
places  within  a  radius  of  50  to  100  miles,  became  each 
the  nucleus  for  Church  centres  of  the  future. 

One  example  will  show  how  Christianity  spreads  in 
country  districts  from  the  Truth  becoming  known, 
perhaps,  to  one  convert.  In  Banshu,  a  province  not 
far  from  Kobe,  the  first  convert  was  an  old  man  who 
long  before  had  seen  (as  a  sailor)  that  Madagascar  had 
been  blessed  by  the  reception  of  Christianity.  Having 
year  after  year  wished  that  some  one  would  come  to 
Japan  to  preach  it,  he  at  length  heard  that  it  was 
gradually  getting  near  to  his  home,  and  at  the  age  of 
seventy  he  set  off  to  Yashiro,  four  miles  distant,  to  see 
Mr.  Foss.  The  result  was  that  he  was  baptized  (in 
1882)  and  within  the  next  four  years  eight  others  were 
brought  to  Christianity  by  his  means  {S.P.G.  Digest, 
1901.) 

Meanwhile,  in  Kobe,  the  year  1878  saw  the  small 
beginning  of  the  now  flourishing  and  important  boys' 
school,  in  which  Japanese,  Eurasian,  Chinese,  and 
Europeans  are  educated  ;  this  work  has  been  started 
and  developed  under  the  management  of  an  English 
schoolmaster,  Mr.  Henry  Hughes,  who  came  to  Mr. 
Foss's  assistance  twenty-six  years  ago.  On  his  staff  of 
teachers  are  the  Rev.  C.  W.  Davidge,  M.A.,  and  Mr. 
F.  B.  Walker. 

There  is  also  in  the  town  a  girls'  school,  founded  by 
the  committee  of  Women's  Work  in  1889.  Help  for 
this  school  at  Kobe  was  the  first  work  undertaken  by 
the  "  King's  Messengers,"  the  Children's  Branch  of  the 
S.P.G.    The  school  was  started  for  the  daughters  of 


CHURCH    WORK    AT    "TREATY    PORTS"    107 

Christians  ;  gradually  those  of  non-Christians  also  came, 
and  now  these  form  a  large  proportion.  Of  eighty 
scholars,  twenty  are  Christians.  The  girls  generally 
enter  the  school  after  they  are  thirteen,  when  leaving 
the  Japanese  primary  schools.  The  school  is  divided 
into  an  upper  and  lower.  The  girls  do  not  take  a  full 
Japanese  course  of  education,  but  a  few  of  the  most 
important  subjects  are  taken,  together  with  a  course  in 
English  and  in  sewing.  The  scholars,  both  day-pupils 
and  boarders,  of  which  there  are  about  twenty,  receive 
a  thorough  grounding  in  Christian  knowledge.  All  the 
teachers  but  one,  and  the  majority  of  boarders,  are 
Christians.  On  the  staff  are  three  foreign  ladies  and 
nine  Japanese  assistant  teachers.  Mrs.  Foss  for  five 
years  before  her  marriage  had  charge  of  the  school  ;  she 
was  succeeded  in  1901  by  Miss  Reader  (S.P.G.),  now 
married  to  the  Rev.  T.  A.  Nind,  priest-in-charge  at 
Okayama.  Since  then  the  work  has  been  under  the 
care  of  Miss  Parker,  who  for  two  years  had  been  at 
Tokyo  taking  Miss  Weston's  work  during  her  absence 
on  furlough. 

There  are  two  Christian  churches  in  the  town,  and 
the  S.P.G.  lady  missionaries,  in  addition  to  their  school 
duties,  share  in  the  evangelistic  work  carried  on  by  these 
churches.  They  undertake  visiting  and  Sunday-school 
teaching  at  St.  Michael's  Church  and  in  the  district  of 
West  Kobe,  the  Christian  congregation  of  which  is  in 
charge  of  the  Rev.  M.  Kakuzen.  They  are  assisted  by 
two  Bible-women,  contributions  for  whose  support  are 
given  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society. 

St.  Michael's  Church,  which  replaced  the  original 
school  church  of  early  days,  was  built  in  1881,  but  was 
burnt  down  ten  years  later  and  rebuilt  in  1894.  The 
first  native  clergyman  ordained  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Foss 
was  his  catechist,  the  Rev.  J.  Mizuno,  subsequently 
stationed  at  Nagano,  where  he  is  now  an  assistant  to 


io8  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Mr.  Waller.  There  are  now  working  under  Bishop 
Foss  in  Kobe  two  Japanese  priests,  and  the  English 
community  have  since  1889  supported  a  chaplain  of 
their  own. 

Since  1896  Kobe  and  its  branch  Missions  have  be- 
come a  part  of  the  diocese  of  Osaka,  of  which  Dr.  Awdry 
was  the  first  bishop.  On  his  translation  to  South  Tokyo, 
in  1897,  he  was  succeeded  by  Bishop  Foss.  Bishop 
Foss,  who  was  consecrated  in  Westminster  Abbey  in 
February,  1899,  had  then  been  twenty-three  years  a 
missionary  at  Kobe,  and  was  for  long  intervals  the  only 
foreign  ordained  missionary  of  the  Anglican  communion 
at  this  important  centre. 

He  has,  as  bishop,  had  the  supervision  of  the  Church 
work  in  Formosa  (Taiwan),  which  was  undertaken  by 
the  missionary  society  of  the  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai.  The 
Rev.  P.  T.  Terata  from  Hiroshima  has  been  stationed 
at  Taipeh,  the  northern  capital,  where  most  of  the 
Japanese  settlers  are  congregated.  Many  Christians 
who  come  to  Formosa  are  members  of  the  Sei  Kokwai, 
and  to  find  they  were  not  forgotten  by  their  Church  is 
a  great  encouragement  to  them.  Since  1903  the 
S.P.G.  has  made  a  grant-in-aid  to  the  Mission.  The 
Presbyterians  began  work  in  the  island  in  1865,  mainly 
among  the  Chinese,  who  form  the  large  majority  of  the 
inhabitants.  Of  these  the  aborigines  in  the  interior 
still  number  about  250,000  ,and  the  Japanese  something 
under  100,000.  Since  the  transfer  of  the  island  to 
Japan  the  whole  state  of  the  country  has  undergone 
great  change,  and  the  Japanese  are  endeavouring  to 
raise  the  tone  of  the  Chinese  population  and  to  civilize 
the  savages  of  the  island  both  by  education  and  the 
just  administration  of  law. 

Of  the  outlying  sub-districts  of  the  Kobe  Mission  the 
Island  of  Awaji  is  the  oldest.^ 

1  Cf.  Chapter  xv. 


CHURCH    WORK    AT    "TREATY    PORTS"   109 

Okayama  is  the  capital  of  a  populous  province.  A 
Church  Mission  was  begun  there  under  a  native  catechist 
about  1897,  and  since  1899  the  Rev.  T.  A.  Nind,  who 
was  ordained  in  1900,  has  been  in  residence. 

At  Bakan,  Shimonoseki,  which  from  its  strategical 
importance  has  been  termed  the  *'  Gibraltar  "  of  the 
Inland  Sea,  a  new  station  has  recently  been  opened  in 
the  charge  of  the  Rev.  C.  G.  Gardner,  M.A.,  who  was 
previously  at  Kobe  and  at  Shidzuoka.  The  prospect 
there  is  full  of  promise,  but  as  yet  the  Church  congrega- 
tion is  small,  consisting  of  only  a  very  few  famihes. 
There  is,  however,  in  Bakan  a  Methodist  Mission,  to 
which  is  attached  a  large  Sunday  school. 

NAGASAKI. 

Nagasaki  was  the  place  where  the  Christians  made  their 
last  visible  efforts  in  the  seventeenth  century  to  uphold 
the  Cross  in  Japan  ;  it  was  fitting  that  there,  200  years 
later,  Christianity  should  first  be  preached  once  again. 

The  Rev.  C.  M.  Williams  and  the  Rev.  J.  Liggins,  of 
the  American  Episcopal  Church,  were  the  first  mis- 
sionaries in  modern  times  to  arrive  in  Japan.  They  came 
to  Nagasaki  in  1858,  immediately  after  Lord  Elgin's 
treaty  secured  liberty  for  foreigners  to  reside  at  the 
treaty  ports.  But  the  American  Civil  war,  which  fol- 
lowed soon  after,  crippled  the  early  efforts  of  the  Ameri- 
can Mission.  Some  of  its  members  were  compelled  to 
return  to  America,  and  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
of  the  Enghsh  Church  was  appealed  to  by  them  to  take 
up  the  work.  The  C.M.S.  were  unable  at  the  time  to 
respond.  In  1869,  however,  in  consequence  of  an 
anonymous  donation,  the  C.M.S.  were  enabled  to  begin 
work  in  Japan.  The  Rev.  George  Ensor,  who  came 
out  in'^that  year,  took  up  his  residence  in  Nagasaki, 
where^the  American  Episcopal  Mission  was  still  located. 

Christianity  was  still  proscribed,  and  neither  public 


no  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

preaching  nor  teaching  was  as  yet  permissible.  The 
missionaries  could  only  receive  the  visits  of  adventurous 
inquirers  who  at  dead  of  night  might  steal  their  way  into 
their  houses  to  learn  about  the  religion  of  the  foreigners. 
Numbers  did  so  come  ;  day  by  day  the  house  would  be 
thronged  with  Japanese  visitors,  all  curious  to  know 
something  about  England,  her  science  and  art  and 
progress,  but  most  of  all  about  her  rehgion.  Neither 
Government  surveillance,  nor  the  severe  persecution  a 
few  months  later  of  hundreds  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
native  Christians  deterred  them  from  facing  the  danger 
of  inquiry,  and    many  subsequently  were  baptized. 

Mr.  Ensor  was  obliged  to  return  home  after  four 
years.  Meanwhile  the  Rev.  H.  Burnside  joined  him 
in  1871,  and  taking  advantage  of  the  growing  toleration, 
was  able  to  work  more  openly.  In  his  work  he  was  aided 
by  his  catechist,  a  convert  from  Buddhism  and  formerly 
a  member  of  the  Russo-Greek  Church.  A  Mission 
church  was  erected  on  a  site  secured  for  the  Mission  on 
the  little  islet  of  Deshima,  and  close  to  the  bridge 
which  leads  to  the  native  town.  Deshima,  during  the 
past  two  centuries,  had  been  the  only  settlement  allowed 
to  the  Dutch  traders  in  the  Empire. 

Before  the  completion  of  the  church  Mr.  Burnside 
was  forced  by  ill-health  to  leave  Japan.  The  Rev.  H. 
Evington  (afterwards  Bishop)  superintended  the  Mission 
for  a  few  months,  until  the  arrival  of  the  Rev.  Herbert 
Maundrell  in  July,  1875.  Deshima  was  the  place  where 
in  the  seventeenth  century  suspected  Christians  were 
ordered  to  trample  upon  a  cross  which  was  laid  upon  the 
ground.  Hence  a  church  raising  that  sign  on  high, 
erected  on  the  very  place  of  such  profanation,  was  of 
special  significance. 

In  1875  Mr.  Maundrell  opened  a  class  at  Nagasaki 
for  the  training  of  native  agents.  After  nine  years  it 
was  closed  in  1886  ;  the  divinity  school  at  Osaka  being 


CHURCH  WORK  AT  "TREATY  PORTS"     iii 

found  to  provide  sufficient  accommodation  for  the 
training  of  C.M.S.  native  candidates  for  Holy  Orders. 
By  the  close  of  1878  the  baptized  numbered  nearly 
fifty ;  a  Sunday  school  and  a  girls'  day-school  had  been 
begun  in  a  house  built  for  the  purpose  on  Deshima. 
The  day-school  was  eventually  closed,  but  a  girls' 
boarding  school  has  for  the  last  twenty-five  years  done 
good  work. 

In  1882  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Hutchinson  took  the  place 
of  the  Rev.  W.  Andrews,  who  was  transferred  to  Hakko- 
date.  For  the  next  few  years  there  arose  much  open 
opposition.  The  defection  also  occurred  of  two  or 
three  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Church  inKiiishiu. 
On  the  other  hand,  considerable  progress  was  achieved. 
1884  was  marked  by  the  opening  of  a  new  Mission-room 
in  the  native  town.  It  was  the  first  instance  of  a  Chris- 
tian Mission-room  being  erected.  Three  years  later  a 
book  shop  was  opened  in  the  heart  of  the  town,  and  as 
a  depot  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
became  a  fresh  centre  for  evangelistic  work. 

A  further  development  took  place  in  1890,  when  the 
church  on  the  island  of  Deshima  was  removed  into  the 
city.  There  are  now  within  the  native  town  both  the 
church  for  the  members'  worship  and  the  Mission's 
preaching-station  for  unbelievers. 

An  account  is  given  elsewhere  of  the  Society's  centres 
in  other  towns  of  Kiushiu.  All  these  were  at  one  time 
out-stations  of  Nagasaki,  and  have  now  become  separate 
centres  with  out-stations  of  their  own. 

At  present  the  out-stations  of  Nagasaki  are  at  Sasebo, 
the  famous  naval  station  of  Kiiishiu,  and  at  Shimabara, 
where,  during  the  persecutions  of  the  Christians  in  the 
seventeenth  century,  the  last  stand  was  made  by  them 
in  the  old  castle  of  the  town.  It  was  upon  the  fall  of 
this  castle  that  so  many  of  them  are  said  to  have  been 
ruthlessly  put  to  death  by  the  enraged  victors. 


CHAPTER     X 

C.M.S.  Work 

Hiroshima — Fukuoka   and    Kokura   districts — Kumamoto. 

Hiroshima  is  a  city  lying  on  the  mainland  between 
Kobe  and  Shimonoseki,  and  is  beautifully  situated  upon 
the  shores  of  the  Inland  Sea.  The  hills  behind  protect 
it  from  the  north  :  in  front  opens  out  one  of  the  most 
lovely  of  the  larger  bays  that  deeply  indent  the  coast- 
line. The  islands  in  the  bay  break  up  the  water  into 
intricate  channels,  but  beyond,  the  generally  smooth 
surface  of  the  Inland  Sea  is  covered  with  fishing  boats 
and  steamers.  The  sacred  isle  of  Miyajima,  famous  for 
its  temple  and  its  Torii  projecting  from  the  land  into 
the  sea,  lies  in  the  bay  to  the  right.  The  surroundings 
of  Hiroshima  form  a  strange  setting  for  a  town  and 
district  that  combines  the  work  of  Newcastle,  with  its 
Armstrong  dockyards,  with  that  of  Woolwich,  with  its 
gun-factories  and  its  college  for  military  training. 

During  the  war  with  China,  1894-5,  Hiroshima  was 
made  a  base  of  the  military  operations  ;  the  headquarters 
of  the  army  were  there,  and  in  the  old  castle  of  its  former 
Daimyo  lived  the  Emperor  himself,  in  order  that  he 
might  be  nearer  the  scene  of  action.  Then,  as  also 
during  the  last  war,  sounds  of  preparation  filled  the  air 
— soldiers  were  to  be  seen  hurrying  in  all  directions,  the 
drill -ground  was  full  of  artillery  and  other  implements 

U2 


C.M.S.    WORK  113 

of  war,  and  temples  were  converted  into  storehouses 
for  grain. 

In  1892  the  C.M.S.  transferred  the  Rev.  D.  T.  Terata, 
a  Japanese  deacon,  from  Gifu  to  form  a  new  centre  of 
Church  hfe  in  Hiroshima,  a  great  city  of  115,000 
inhabitants.  Before  this,  the  American  Missions 
(Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Episcopal  and  Congregational) 
had  begun  work  here. 

Hiroshima  was  a  stirring  place  during  the  war  with 
China.  On  every  hand  the  Genevan  Red  Cross,  embla- 
zoned on  the  arms  of  non-Christian  soldiers  and  nurses 
and  on  the  flags  waving  over  Buddhist  temples  that  were 
being  used  as  hospitals,  seemed  to  proclaim  already  the 
sovereignty  of  the  Cross.  In  the  army  itself,  among 
doctors,  nurses,  officers  and  privates,  there  were  at 
Hiroshima  alone  100  baptized  Christians.  The  Govern- 
ment allowed  eight  representatives  of  various  Christian 
denominations  to  accompany  the  troops  ;  of  these 
eight  the  Rev.  D.  T.  Terata  was  one.  During  his  two 
months'  absence  at  the  front  he  was  well  received 
wherever  he  went,  and  afterwards  several  who  had 
first  heard  the  Gospel  on  this  campaign  found  their 
way  to  the  Hiroshima  preaching-place  when  they 
returned,  and  there  received  further  instruction.  Mean- 
while at  Hiroshima,  all  through  the  war,  there  were 
opportunities  for  work  among  the  thousands  of  soldiers 
and  coolies  who  were  waiting  at  this  military  base  for 
the  summons  to  the  front.  The  Christians  at  Hiroshima, 
both  workers  and  converts,  worked  with  enthusiasm, 
and  Church  work  at  this  centre  became  surely  estab- 
lished. 

In  1896  two  C.M.S.  ladies  settled  in  the  city.  Shortly 
after  Mr.  Terata  was  chosen  as  the  first  missionary  of 
the  Sei  Kokwai  to  be  sent  to  Formosa,  and  for  a  time 
the  little  band  of  workers  felt  their  efforts  greatly 
retarded  by   his   absence.       A   larger   preaching-place 

I 


114  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

was  acquired  at  this  time  in  a  better  position,  and  a 
small  reading-room  for  soldiers  was  opened,  to  which 
men  came  for  recreation  and  study. 

Addresses  were  given  there  on  Sunday  afternoons 
by  Mr.  Williams  and  his  catechist,  and  a  good  many 
non-commissioned  officers  attended  the  lessons  which 
were  given  on  the  Bible.  Visits  to  the  military  and 
naval  hospitals  were  continued.  Groups  of  men  would 
gather  round  "  to  hear  the  story  of  the  Life  of  Christ,  in 
order,  *  from  beginning  to  end,'  they  said,"  as  it  was 
related  very  simply  by  the  aid  of  a  series  of  small 
pictures.  Out  of  this  hospital  work,  too,  came  corres- 
pondence with  the  soldiers  who  had  been  sent  to 
Formosa. 

Nor  was  work  among  the  women  and  children 
neglected.  The  two  Sunday  schools  held  weekly  for 
children  progressed  so  well  that  at  the  second  Christ- 
mas entertainment  over  eighty  children  were  present, 
together  with  many  parents.  These  children  were 
taught  simple  short  prayers  for  morning  and  evening 
use,  and  answers  to  questions  given  in  the  actual  words 
of  Scripture. 

In  addition  to  these  schools,  a  Bible -class  for  boys, 
mostly  from  one  particular  school,  was  formed.  At 
their  school  they  were  called  "  Christians  "  in  derision, 
and  most  of  them  did  not  hesitate  to  accept  the  name, 
and  some  later  on  were  baptized. 

Beyond  the  town  evangelistic  work  was  carried  on 
in  several  villages.  At  some  places  opposition  was  met 
with,  and  it  was  found  that  ladies  were  listened  to 
better  and  their  audiences  were  larger  when  they  went 
alone.  Men  would  often  come  to  the  women's  meetings, 
and  would  criticize  probably  the  curious  ways  of  the 
foreigner.  But  scoffers  sometimes  stayed  to  inquire,  and 
at  one  place  a  Bi])lc-class  among  men  was  started,  and 
so  much  interest  was  aroused  that   on  an  interval  in 


C.M.S.    WORK  115 

the  work  occurring,  letters  came  to  beg  that  the  ladies 
would  quickly  visit  them  once  more,  "  as  they  were 
waiting  for  their  teaching  !  " 

Within  recent  years  in  Japan  the  prices  of  all  articles 
have  advanced  and  wages  have  doubled,  but  the  pay  of 
the  smaller  officers  and  policemen  in  the  Government 
service  has  not  risen  in  proportion.  Rice,  the  staple 
food  of  the  people,  was  in  1897  selling  at  four  times 
the  price  of  twenty  years  before.  Again,  heavy  taxation, 
to  meet  the  cost  of  the  up-to-date  armaments,  has 
weighed  severely  on  all.  Speaking  of  the  general  con- 
dition of  unrest  and  transition,  Mr.  WiUiams  wrote  : 
"  How  to  graft  new  systems  on  to  the  old,  how  to  enjoy 
constitutional  ideals  without  giving  up  the  figment  of 
the  Emperor's  divinity,  how  to  have  the  results  of 
Christianity  without  Christianity  itself  :  these  are  some 
questions  which  give  food  for  reflection  to  the  more 
thoughtful  Japanese." 

In  1902  the  little  body  of  Christians  were  formed  into 
a  partly  self-supporting  Mission  Church  {"  Korin  "  or 
"  Advent  "  Church),  with  a  church  committee  ;  and 
when  thirteen  adult  members  of  the  congregation  left 
the  town  there  still  remained  a  considerable  number. 
Weekly  meetings  for  Christian  women  were  being  held  in 
their  different  houses  and  were  well  attended.  ^lonthly 
meetings  were  also  held  of  the  Women's  Benevolent 
Society,  by  whose  knitting  and  other  charitable  work 
funds  were  raised  for  the  Christian  Blind  School  at 
Gifu,  for  the  "  Nippon  Sei  Kokwai  "  Mission  in  Formosa, 
for  the  supply  of  Christian  books  to  a  large  convict 
prison,  and  for  other  deserving  needs.  There  were  also 
ladies'  meetings  for  non-Christian  women  and  girls, 
Bible  classes  for  students  at  the  higher  normal  school, 
and  evangelistic  work  at  the  naval  establishments  at 
Kure  and  Etajima,  and  in  the  various  villages  of  the 
neighbourhood. 


ii6  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Since  1901  there  has  been  no  resident  clergyman,  but 
the  clergy  from  Fukuyama,  Okayama,  or  Kobe  have 
visited  the  little  church  monthly  for  the  administration 
of  the  Sacraments.  The  weekly  and  Sunday  services 
and  the  evangelistic  work  have  been  in  charge  of  the 
catechist,  Mr.  Kawada,  assisted  by  the  lady  missionaries 
and  their  Japanese  helpers. 

Some  idea  of  the  work  carried  on  by  the  English  lady 
missionaries,  with  the  aid  of  their  Japanese  women 
helpers,  may  be  formed  from  the  following  summary 
written  in  1904.  In  addition  to  the  work  among 
women  and  children,  ten  or  eleven  classes  a  week  are 
held  for  men,  and  for  older  and  younger  boys  of  varied 
positions  and  schools  in  the  town.  Teachers  of  the 
boys'  primary  school,  of  the  higher  normal  school, 
bank  officials,  young  military  officers,  attend  some 
of  the  classes.  Students  of  the  higher  normal  school 
attend  others  ;  these  are  men  who,  for  the  most  part, 
have  been  Government  school  teachers,  and  are  now 
preparing  for  positions  as  schoolmasters.  The  classes 
are  in  some  cases  wholly  for  Bible  instruction  ;  in 
other  cases  an  English  lesson  is  given  as  well.  Boys 
from  the  Government  middle  school  and  from  the  com- 
mercial school  are  among  those  who  attend  the  Bible- 
classes  given  for  the  younger  boys. 

Since  January,  1904,  Christian  work  at  Hiroshima 
has  been  still  further  developed.  Both  during  the 
earlier  time  of  mobilization  for  the  war  and  afterwards, 
when  the  hospitals  were  being  filled  as  fast  as  they 
could  be  built,  the  military  authorities  permitted 
Christian  work  to  be  carried  on,  and,  as  elsewhere,  the 
missionaries  worked  heartily  with  the  many  Japanese 
associations  for  providing  comforts  for  soldiers  at  the 
war,  and  relief  for  their  families  at  home. 

During  the  time  of  waiting,  while  the  troops  were 
quartered  in  the  city  and  villages  around  for  days  or 


LITTLE    BUDDHIST   PLANTING    PRAYERS   FOR    SOLDIERS 

IN    THE    GRASS 

Nikko,  1904. 


C.M.S.    WORK  117 

weeks,  the  missionaries  were  engaged  in  distributing 
the  Gospels,  pubhshed  separately  by  the  Bible  Society. 
Gifts  of  these  booklets  were  made  to  nearly  every 
soldier  on  his  leaving  Hiroshima.  Together  with  these 
books  was  added  a  leaflet,  explaining  briefly  what  they 
were,  and  ending  with  a  soldier's  prayer  adapted  from 
one  authorized  by  Lord  Roberts  for  use  in  South  Africa. 
Magic  lantern  meetings  and  preachings  were  also 
arranged,  and  two  special  meetings  were  held,  at  which 
a  number  of  men  attended  ;  "  they  were  paraded  outside 
the  gate  and  marched  in  in  strict  order,  and  behaved 
perfectly."  A  few  views,  military  pictures,  illustrations 
of  the  Life  of  Christ  and  His  teaching  were  shown.  The 
captain  in  command  of  the  men  came  himself  the  second 
night,  and  afterwards  sent  the  lady  missionary  a  "  hand- 
some buff  Cochin  cock  and  hen  in  a  basket  coop,  as  a 
token  of  appreciation."  The  priests  of  a  temple  at 
Hiroshima  were  so  well  disposed  to  Christian  work 
among  the  soldiers  that  they  helped  to  distribute  the 
literature  provided. 

At  the  hospitals,  of  which  the  larger  take  in  over 
1,000  men.  Miss  Bosanquet  was  allowed — having  for 
some  years  had  the  entree  of  the  military  school  at 
Kure — to  visit  freely  and  to  distribute  as  much  Chris- 
tian literature  as  she  would.  Picture-books  and  tracts 
were  accepted  gladly.  A  great  variety  of  literature 
was  needed  to  meet  the  demand  of  so  many  sick  and 
wounded.  Convalescents  were  drafted  off  as  quickly 
as  possible,  and  new  invalids  took  their  place  ;  those 
"  necessarily  detained  ...  for  a  long  time  .  .  .  become  like 
old  friends  and  read  book  after  book."  Among  them 
were  some  of  the  victims  of  the  Russian  attack  on  the 
Sado  Maru  transport,  another  was  one  of  the  ten  sur- 
vivors from  the  ill-fated  transport,  the  Hitachi  Maru. 
Wounded  men  were  to  be  seen  reading  a  New  Testa- 
ment or  a  little  Gospel  given  to  them  before  the  war. 


ii8  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Those  who  had  heard  previously  of  Christianity,  or  had 
been  to  a  Christian  school,  welcomed  warmly  a  Chris- 
tian visitor  and  Christian  books.  One  soldier,  who  fell 
before  the  nets  at  Nanshan,  had  first  heard  the  truth  in 
Hiroshima  a  few  weeks  before.  He  was  much  helped 
by  a  Christian  comrade  who  was  afterwards  in  hospital 
there.  This  man  was  with  him  just  before  he  died, 
and  was  able  to  hear  from  him  his  last  confession  of 
faith  and  peace,  and  to  comfort  him  with  words  quoted 
from  Psalm  xxiii. 

Despite  necessary  overwork  and  strain  during  those 
months  of  war  time,  the  Christian  workers  were  glad  to 
be  in  Hiroshima  at  the  Army  Hospitals,  to  see  the 
patient  heroes  bearing  their  suHerings  so  cheerfully,  and 
so  eager  for  something  comforting  to  read  or  to  hear. 

FUKUOKA  AND   KOKURA,   C.M.S.   CENTRES   IN   KIUSHltJ. 

Fukuoka  is  a  seaport  town,  eighty  miles  from  Nagasaki. 
The  business  quarter  and  port  itself  (Hakata)  is  only 
separated  by  the  river  Nakagawa  from  the  old  feudal 
town,  but  the  contrast  is  striking  between  the  busy 
and  crowded  port  and  the  quieter  and  more  dignified 
Fukuoka  proper,  the  quarter  of  the  official  residents 
and  people  of  the  Samurai  class.  As  a  Mission  station, 
Fukuoka  was  for  many  years  worked  from  Nagasaki. 
In  1888  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Hutchinson  went  to  reside  there, 
as  missionary-in -charge  of  the  north-western  district 
of  Kiushiu.  With  the  coast  as  base  line  his  sphere  of 
work  lay  in  a  semi-circle  around,  with  a  radius  of  some 
forty  miles.  Until  1894  the  rigorous  enforcement  of 
passport  regulations  hampered  his  efforts,  but  the  new 
treaty  of  that  year  increased  the  possibiHties  of  itinera- 
ting. 

Meanwhile  a  church  at  Fukuoka  had  been  built,  and 
in  1891  fifteen  candidates  received  confirmation.    The 


C.M.S.    WORK  iig 

Mission  was  joined  by  two  lady  workers,  who  helped  to 
carry  on  work  among  the  women  and  in  three  Sunday- 
schools.  Ignorance  and  Buddhist  opposition  retarded 
the  work  at  times.  At  other  times,  when  Christianity 
was  in  good  report  throughout  Japan,  there  were  large 
accessions  of  adherents,  who  afterwards  withdrew. 

The  congregation  at  Fukuoka  became  self-supporting 
about  igoo,  and  sent,  with  other  Christians  of  the 
Fukuoka  and  Kokura  districts,  a  generous  contribu- 
tion to  the  famine  sufferers  in  India.  Where  respon- 
sibility for  the  needs  of  strangers  is  thus  strongly  felt, 
it  may  be  assumed  that  Christianity  is  firmly  planted. 

The  district,  the  centre  of  which  is  Kokura,  is  in  the 
heart  of  the  coal-mining  region  of  northern  Kiushiii. 
Moji,  the  new  port  opposite  to  Shimonoseki,  is  eight 
miles  away.  Its  prosperity  dates  from  1891,  when  it 
WcLS  selected  as  the  northern  terminus  of  the  Kiushiu 
railway.  The  work  lies  amongst  the  officials  of  the 
port,  the  railway  and  their  work-people,  and  among  the 
superintendents  of  the  mines.  As  yet  the  miners  them- 
selves have  not  been  reached. 

The  evangelization  of  these  business  men  and  busy 
officials  is  specially  difficult.  They  are  more  intelli- 
gent than  the  average  men  in  the  provinces ;  but  apart 
from  the  fact  that  they  have  little  leisure  for  outside 
interests,  their  social  conditions  make  it  hard  for  them 
to  lead  a  life  consistent  with  a  belief  in  Christianity. 
The  public  opinion  of  their  class  has  no  restraining  in- 
fluence for  them  in  view  of  the  social  and  business  temp- 
tations which  they  have  to  face.  The  lady  missionaries 
attached  to  the  staff  have  of  recent  years  carried  on 
encouraging  work  among  the  women  and  children 
throughout  the  Kokura  district.  At  Wakamatsu,  five 
miles  from  Kokura,  especially,  the  nucleus  of  a  fresh 
congregation  has  been  formed.  Itinerating  work  has 
been  carried  on  by  rail  in  many  towns  and  villages  on 


120  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

the  Kiushiu  line.  Everywhere  progress,  if  slow,  is  real, 
and  gives  evidence  of  spiritual  advance.  The  children 
are  the  great  hope  of  the  future.  Education  on  a  broad 
but  secular  basis  is  being  given  to  all.  But  this  educa- 
tion needs  sadly  the  Christian  leaven  to  make  them  grow 
into  worthy  men  and  women. 

The  war  brought  new  and  arduous  duties  to  the  mis- 
sionaries in  the  district.  At  Kokura  great  opportunities 
were  given  for  Christian  work  among  the  troops  who 
were  mobilizing  for  the  seat  of  war,  and  later  among  the 
thousands  of  sick  and  wounded  who  passed  through 
the  large  hospitals  near  Kokura  as  they  were  drafted 
back  from  the  front.  The  three  hospitals,  erected  on 
admirable  sanitary  lines,  were  capable  of  holding  each 
some  1,500  to  2,000  men.  About  30  doctors,  200  men 
nurses,  and  80  to  100  women  nurses  were  employed. 

Missionary  efforts  to  reach  the  soldiers  were  made 
as  at  the  other  mihtary  centres.  Large  distributions  of 
the  Scriptures  were  made  to  the  regiments  before  they 
entrained.  This  was  in  some  intances  done  on  the 
parade  ground  by  command  of  the  staff-officers,  at 
whose  office  the  literature  had  been  deposited.  In  the 
hospitals  at  Kokura  there  were  frequent  openings  for 
visiting  the  sick.  The  head  of  the  hospital  especially 
desired  the  catechist's  visits,  as  Buddhists  visited  the 
patients  freely,  and  he  wished  the  Christians  to  do  the 
same.  The  ladies  of  the  Church  Missions  in  Kokura  sub- 
sequently went  regularly  to  take  flowers  and  literature, 
and  sing  hymns,  and  catechists,  missionaries  and 
others  were  allowed  to  preach  in  the  wards  and  to  hold 
short  services  for  convalescent  soldiers.  Not  only 
among  the  soldiers  was  work  done,  but  among  nurses, 
ward  officials,  and  heads  of  the  wards  inquirers  were 
found,  and  requests  for  baptism  were  made.  The 
soldiers  passed  through  before  definite  results  could  be 
ascertained,  but  among  them,  too,  striking  proofs  were 


C.M.S.    WORK  121 

afforded  as  to  the  reality  of  the  impressions  produced. 
Some  of  the  men  told  other  soldiers  on  leaving  the  hos- 
pital, and  persuaded  them  to  visit  the  missionary. 

KUMAMOTO   IN    KIUSHIU 

Kumamoto  is  due  east  of  Nagasaki  and  eight  or  nine 
miles  inland  from  the  east  coast  of  the  Shimabara  Gulf. 
It  is  the  gamson  town  for  the  southern  portion  of  the 
Empire  and  the  chief  town  in  Kiushiii.  Its  importance 
as  a  missionary  centre  cannot  be  overrated. 

The  Rev.  H.  Maundrell  paid  a  first  visit  to  Kumamoto 
in  1876,  in  company  with  Bishop  Burdon.  The  Gospel 
had  been  first  preached  there  a  few  years  previously  by 
a  Captain  Janes,  an  American  engaged  by  Government 
as  a  foreign  teacher  in  the  garrison  academy.  Through 
his  efforts  many  of  the  younger  men  had  been  drawn  to 
Christianity,  and  a  few  had  been  baptized.  Later,  in 
1879,  in  consequence  of  some  evangelistic  work  carried 
on  by  two  Nagasaki  students,  one  of  them  was  appointed 
by  the  C.M.S.  to  reside  as  catechist,  and  to  commence 
systematic  work.  At  first  this  met  with  favour,  but 
during  the  early  eighties  the  Mission  encountered  much 
opposition.  However,  this  hostility  did  not  last  long, 
partly  because  the  advanced  Liberal  party  in  the  town, 
though  making  no  profession  of  Christianity,  determined 
to  put  down  the  intolerant  opposition  as  inimical  to 
their  policy  of  progress.  Thus,  wrote  Mr.  Maundrell, 
the  tables  were  turned.  "  Last  year  it  was  our  lecture- 
room  which  was  decried  and  stoned ;  this  year  the 
persons  who  then  stoned  us  and  tried  to  suppress  the 
preaching  have  themselves  been  stoned  and  their 
meetings  attempted  to  be  suppressed,  because  they  are 
regarded  as  obstructionists  !  " 

During  these  early  years  of  the  Mission  the  Rev.  A.  B. 
Hutchinson  paid  annual  visits.  In  spite  of  occasional 
difficulties  the  work  at  Kumamoto  went  steadily  forward, 


122  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

and  its  influence  began  to  extend  to  the  whole  sur- 
rounding neighbourhood.  The  Rev.  J.  B.  Brandram, 
with  his  sister,  who  had  re-enforced  the  Society's  Mis- 
sion at  Nagasaki  in  1884,  paid  lengthened  visits,  and 
in  1887  took  up  their  permanent  residence  at  Kumamoto. 
Early  in  1891  the  Kumamoto  staff  were  joined  by  two 
ladies,  who  assisted  greatly  in  the  work.  Since  1898 
this  Church  has  supported  its  own  pastor,  the  Rev. 
K.  Nakamura. 

In  1900,  after  sixteen  years  of  Mission  work,  Mr. 
Brandram  died  at  sea  on  his  way  to  Hongkong,  whither 
he  had  gone  to  recuperate. 

During  the  last  few  years  the  classes  for  English  and 
Bible  study  have  been  largely  attended  by  officials, 
professional  and  business  men  in  the  town  ;  the  lady 
missionary  and  her  Bible-woman  have  held  meetings 
for  women  and  girls  which,  together  with  Christian  in- 
struction, have  been  gladly  welcomed. 

Work  in  the  Town — The  City  Church. — The  Christians 
at  Kumamoto  from  an  early  date  made  great  efforts  to 
become  a  self-supporting  community.  In  1887  they 
built  both  a  church  and  a  school,  and  within  ten  years 
they  raised  the  requisite  sum  for  the  appointment  of 
a  native  pastor.  The  Rev.  K.  Nakamura,  ordained 
deacon  in  1898  to  serve  in  their  church,  has  now  become 
the  priest-in-charge.  This  native  Christian  congrega- 
tion has  gone  on  steadily  increasing,  now  averaging  some 
fifty  at  the  public  services.  During  the  last  year  alone 
twenty-seven  have  been  baptized,  and  ten  men  and  four 
women  confirmed. 

The  Sunday  schools  attached  are  carried  on  by  Eng- 
lish lady  missionaries  and  their  Japanese  helpers.  One 
school  is  for  Christians ;  and  two,  which  are  largely 
attended,  are  for  non-Christian  children  ;  there  is  also 
a  Bible -class  for  young  girls,  the  daughters  of  the  more 
influential  people  in  the  city.     Though  these  may  not 


C.M.S.    WORK  123 

as  yet  be  willing  for  their  children  to  adopt  the  new 
faith,  they  have  recognized  that  its  influence  makes  for 
good.  It  augurs  well  when  the  classes  which,  as  the 
result  of  secular  education,  might  be  inclined  to  hold 
aloof  from  any  new  religion,  are  seen  to  welcome  it  as 
good  teaching  for  their  children. 

The  city  church  has  a  Japanese  pastor  and  is  becoming 
entirely  self-supporting.  It  has  for  the  last  few  years 
set  free  the  C.M.S.  missionaries  and  funds  for  increased 
evangelistic  effort  both  within  and  beyond  the  city. 
Evangelistic  work  is  carried  on  at  two  preaching-places 
in  the  town  at  the  "  Dendokwai,"  or  preaching-place, 
in  Takenuchi,  where  regular  Sunday  and  week-day 
services  are  held,  together  with  a  Sunday-school  for 
the  Christians,  and  another  for  the  non- Christians.  At 
Shimmachi,  in  quite  another  part  of  the  town,  there  is 
rented  a  house  for  preaching,  which  lies  just  off  the 
main  thoroughfare  of  that  large  business  quarter. 
After  closing  hours  large  audiences  of  men  engaged  in 
the  shops  close  at  hand  are  attracted,  and  it  may  be 
hoped  that  the  Shimmachi  "  Dendokwai  "  will  prove 
another  centre  of  evangelistic  work  in  Kumamoto. 

Out-station  Work. — Beyond  the  city,  out-stations 
have  sprung  up  in  the  country  round,  and  Christian 
influence  has  begun  to  be  felt  in  the  surrounding 
neighbourhood.  Preaching  and  visiting  have  been 
conducted  for  some  years  at  Yamaga,  Oshima  and 
Takase. 

The  out-station  work  from  Kumamoto  stretclifes 
across  the  intervening  low-lying  rice  fields  far  into  the 
heart  of  the  mountainous  districts  of  the  still  active 
volcano,  Aso  San.  The  rivers  Shirakawa  and  Tsuboi 
wind  across  this  plain,  and  along  them  extends  the  city 
Kumamoto,  crowned  by  its  famous  castle  and  backed 
on  the  west  by  the  wooded  slopes  of  Kimbo  San  ;  while 
to  the  east  the  eye  is  carried  over  clusters  of  thatched 


124  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

roofs  and  pine  trees,  which  denote  towns  or  villages,  on 
to  the  distant  hills.  In  the  villages  among  those  hills, 
twenty  to  thirty  miles  away,  live  a  few  families  of 
isolated  Christians,  and  many  another  whose  loneliness 
appeals  to  our  sympathy,  who  is  as  yet  only  an  inquirer. 
These  are  anxious  to  learn  more  of  that  wonderful  story 
which  has  brought  a  strange  new  meaning  into  their 
lives,  but  they  have  to  await  patiently  from  month  to 
month  the  visits  of  itinerating  missionaries  or  catechists. 


S^    X 


6    ^ 
3    ^ 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  Lepers  at  Kuiniamoto,  its  Church  and  Hos- 
pital 

Leprosy  in  Japan,  and  the  Kumamoto  leper  hospital — Some 
of  the  patients — Scenes  witnessed  at  the  Ilommyoji  Temple 
— "  Afternoon  chapel  "  at  the  Hospital. 

The  leper  hospital  at  Kumamoto,  which  was  opened  in 
1895,  is  one  of  three  in  Japan  which  are  entirely  free 
to  the  patients.  The  other  two  are  both  on  the  main- 
land ;  one,  near  Tokyo,  is  maintained  by  the  "  Edin- 
burgh Mission  to  Lepers,"  and  the  other,  which  is  near 
to  Gotemba,  Shidzuoka  Ken  (in  a  province  adjacent  to 
the  far-famed  Fuji-San)  is  a  branch  of  the  work  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Mission  to  Japan.  Within  the  empire 
there  are  approximately  200,000  lepers,  and  no  class 
is  free  from  the  taint.  When  it  appears  in  a  family 
the  victim  is  hidden  away  from  the  outside  world,  if 
means  of  concealment  are  available  ;  or  he  may  be 
given  a  lump  sum  of  money  down  and  requested  to 
obliterate  himself  from  among  his  relatives.  Money 
will  procure  these  castaways  temporary  relief  from  the 
quacks  who  abound  with  fahacious  cures,  and  from  the 
numerous  paying  estabhshments  and  notable  hot  springs 
of  Kusatsu  and  elsewhere.  These  remedies  at  least 
mitigate  to  some  extent  the  tortures  of  leprosy,  but 
when  the  money  is  gone  the  case  of  the  leper  becomes 


126  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

one  of  blank  despair.  Christ  alone  brought  hope  to 
the  leper  ;  it  is  His  religion  alone,  even  among  this 
philanthropic  and  kindly  people,  that  brings  gratuitous 
aid  to  the  leper. 

The  leper  hospital  of  Kumamoto  is  maintained  en- 
tirely by  private  subscription,  raised  either  in  Japan 
or  in  England.  It  costs  £400  to  maintain  forty-two 
lepers.  It  owes  its  inception  to  the  scenes  at  the 
Hommyoji  temple,  where  lepers  congregate,  witnessed 
by  a  lady  missionary  many  years  ago  when  she  was 
working  under  the  C.M.S.  in  Kumamoto.  Upon  in- 
quiry she  found  that  there  was  absolutely  no  resource 
for  any  one  without  means,  and  this  determined  her  to 
make  an  effort.  Land  was  bought  and  a  small  hospital 
built  in  Japanese  style.  Until  1900  it  was  connected 
with  the  work  of  the  C.M.S. ,  inasmuch  as  the  ladies 
who  had  charge  of  it  were  members  of  that  society. 
But  since  then  it  has  been  an  entirely  separate  part  of 
the  work  of  the  Church  in  Japan,  the  ladies  in  charge 
of  it  having  resigned  from  the  C.M.S.  They  are  assisted 
in  the  work  of  the  leper  hospital  by  a  resident  surgeon, 
Dr.  Miyake,  and  an  assistant,  two  Japanese  nurses 
(one  of  whom  had  a  son  for  a  long  time  an  inmate  of  the 
hospital),  and  by  a  Council  of  Japanese  and  Enghsh 
friends.  The  Rev.  K.  Nakamura,  of  the  city  Church, 
is  the  chaplain.  The  patients,  twenty-four  in  1897  (of 
whom  ten  were  Christians),  have  by  now  increased 
to  forty-two,  thirty-one  being  Christians  and  twenty-six 
communicants.  The  inmates  are  under  no  external 
obligation  to  profess  the  Christian  rehgion,  but,  for  the 
most  part,  the  alleviation  from  pain  and  the  fresh  hope  in 
life  held  out  to  them  tend  to  produce  a  conviction  and  a 
gratitude  akin  to  that  felt  of  old  by  the  Samaritan  leper 
who  "  returned  to  give  glory  to  God." 

The  situation  of  the  hospital  is  excellent.  It  has 
four  acres  of  land  on  the  outside  of  the  town,  and  is 


KUMAMOTO:  CHURCH  AND   HOSPITAL  127 

situated  on  rising  ground,  with  an  extensive  outlook 
over  the  surrounding  country. 

Behind  it  rises  a  sheltering  hiUside  of  pine  woods 
and  cedars,  and  there  is  space  for  garden  flowers  and 
plants.  The  buildings,  in  Japanese  style,  are  built  in 
detached  blocks,  according  to  the  new  hospital  methods  ; 
there  are  two  blocks  for  men  and  one  for  women.  Each 
block  consists  of  a  row  of  four  rooms  opening  upon 
verandahs.  Raised,  like  all  Japanese  houses,  two  or  three 
feet  above  the  ground,  with  two  walls  and  sliding  paper 
doors  on  opposite  sides,  these  rooms  are  dry,  open  to  the 
air  and  sun-hght,  and  are  easily  kept  ventilated.  A 
new  block  has  recently  been  built  containing  an  infec- 
tion-ward and  bath-room,  a  room  for  those  who  are 
seriously  ill  or  dying,  and  a  room  attached  for  their 
friends  to  stay  in,  should  they  come,  as  they  some- 
times do,  at  the  end  ;  also  quarters  for  the  two  nurses. 

Within  the  first  seven  years  of  its  establishment  the 
hospital  returned  to  their  homes  two  or  three  of  the 
patients  able  to  earn  a  livelihood,  to  support  their  rela- 
tions, and  with  the  prospect  of  many  years  of  usefulness. 

Patients  come  to  the  hospital  from  all  parts  of  Japan, 
In  the  prefecture  of  Kumamoto  itself  leprosy  is  more 
prevalent  than  in  any  other  part  of  Japan.  For  the  most 
part  the  inmates  are  people  of  respectable  position, 
brought  to  poverty  through  their  disease.  Those  accus- 
tomed all  their  lives  to  beg  by  the  wayside  prefer  to  be  out- 
patients (at  the  dispensary  attached  to  the  hospital,  or  at 
a  second  dispensary  established  near  to  the  Hommyoji 
temple),  in  order  that  they  may  be  free  to  spend  their 
gains  at  night  in  drinking  and  dissipation  in  their  leper 
lodging-houses.  Dirt,  carelessness,  intermarriage,  im- 
morality, all  promote  the  extension  of  leprosy,  which 
has  become  a  physical  and  moral  curse  to  this  country. 
With  sufficient  segregation  it  is  possible  to  give  com- 
parative relief  from  the  pain,  and  the    restoration    of 


128  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

self-respect  to  the  sufferers.  Until  the  time  arrives 
that  the  Imperial  Government  takes  up  the  question 
as  a  national  measure,  it  is  the  duty  of  Christians  to  do 
all  they  can  by  private  efforts  to  assuage  the  misery  of 
the  lepers. 

A  few  scenes  at  the  leper  hospital  may  be  contrasted 
with  the  others  at  the  leper  temple,  or  on  almost  any 
road-side  of  the  district. 

One  patient  had  been  born  of  poor  parents  and  had 
supported  himself  for  some  years  by  his  talents  as  a 
painter.  His  case  was  already  sad  through  being  from 
birth  deaf  and  dumb.  When,  while  he  was  a  teacher 
in  a  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institute  at  Nagasaki,  the  first 
symptoms  of  leprosy  showed  themselves,  he  was  but 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  With  no  intimate  friend,  and 
lacking  courage  to  tell  a  doctor,  he  waited  for  nearly 
a  year  in  silence,  in  fear  and  anxiety  ;  then  the  disease 
declared  itself  unmistakably,  and  he  resigned  his  post. 
His  worst  fears  were  realized  when  the  doctor  he  con- 
sulted admntted  that  his  illness  would  be  of  long  dura- 
tion, though  he  did  not  say  from  what  he  was  suffering. 
The  silent  confirmation  seemed  to  him  a  blow  greater 
than  he  could  bear.  He  tried  again  and  again  without 
success  to  take  his  life,  but  was  at  length  induced  by  a 
friend  to  try  once  more  to  earn  a  livelihood  by  painting. 
For  three  years,  while  the  disease  had  not  as  yet  dis- 
figured his  face,  he  travelled  throughout  the  country, 
maintaining  himself  by  his  realistic  sketches  of  land- 
scape and  animal  painting.  Between  three  and  four 
years  ago  he  came  across  a  missionary  in  Idzumo,  and 
from  him  he  learnt  of  the  Saviour  Who  had  mercy  upon 
lepers.  He  was  baptized  in  Idzumo,  and  afterwards, 
the  disease  becoming  worse,  he  went  to  the  hospitals  at 
Osaka  and  Kyoto  seeking  relief  and  spending  his  store 
of  money,  but  getting  no  better.  At  length,  hidden 
away  in  the  back  room  of  a  distant   connexion  at  his 


DEAF  AND  DUMB  ARTIST 

In-patient  of  the  Leper  Hospital  at  Kumamoto 


THREE   LITTLE   PATIENTS   IN    THE    KUMAMOTO   LEPER   HOSPITAL 


KUMAMOTO :  CHURCH  AND  HOSPITAL    129 

native  place,  almost  destitute,  and  no  longer  able  to 
maintain  himself,  a  Christian  friend  heard  of  his  miser- 
able condition,  and  through  his  and  another  friend's 
instrumentality  he  was  brought  down  to  the  Kumamoto 
hospital.  His  feelings  are  best  described  in  his  own 
words  :  "  My  heart  is  overflowing  with  joy  and  thank- 
fulness to  God  for  His  mercy  in  bringing  me  here,  and 
to  His  children  for  their  kindness  to  me." 

Three  of  the  inmates  of  the  hospital  are  children  of 
seven  to  eleven  years  old.  They  are  members  of  leper 
families,  some  of  whom  were  inmates  of  the  hospital 
before  them.  As  yet  the  disease  has  made  little  way 
with  them.  They  are  well  cared  for  and  are  the  delight 
of  the  nurses  and  the  other  patients.  These  help  to 
teach  the  children,  and  their  own  lives  are  made  the 
brighter  by  the  occupation  it  gives,  and  by  the  children's 
presence. 

Some  of  the  patients  are  pitiful  to  see  ;  their  faces  are 
distorted  or  their  limbs  terribly  maimed,  but  one  and 
all  put  the  visitor  to  shame  by  their  patient  bearing, 
their  cheerfulness,  and  their  making  the  best  of  what 
seems  unendurable  suffering.  They  take  an  interest 
in  life,  and  learn  new  occupations  ;  one  man  has  in- 
vented for  himself  a  clever  contrivance  for  his  shrivelled 
leg  that  can  enable  him  to  walk  once  more,  and  even  to 
deceive  the  casual  observer.  A  C.M.S.  missionary  at 
Kokura  wrote  in  1898  :  "  To  go  from  this  scene  of  dirt  and 
misery  (at  the  Hommyoji  temple)  to  the  clean,  quiet 
rooms  and  sunny  gardens  of  the  hospital  and  witness 
the  looks  of  thankful  resignation,  nay,  cheerfulness, 
on  the  poor  lepers'  faces,  can  only  be  compared  to  the 
change  described  by  Dante  in  his  transit  upwards  from 
the  infernal  regions  to  the  quiet  resting-place  before 
entering  Paradise." 

The  scene  at  the  Hommyoji  temple  needs  to  be  seen 
in  contrast  with  that  in  the  hospital,  in  order  to  realize 

K 


130  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

better  the  alleviation  which  has  been  brought  to  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  lepers.  The  Hommyoji  temple  stands  about 
two  miles  from  the  city,  high  up  the  wooded  slopes  of 
the  hill-side.  It  is  the  shrine  of  the  famous  Japanese 
general  and  invader  of  Korea,  Kato  Kiyomasa,  who  was 
300  years  ago  feudal  lord  of  Kumamoto.  It  is  said  that 
he  was  a  leper  and  was  cured  by  the  prayers  of  the 
Hokke  sect  of  Buddhists.  Hence  lepers  from  all  parts 
of  Japan  come  to  visit  and  pray  at  his  shrine,  and  the 
beggars,  who  are  nearly  all  lepers,  by  the  wayside  and 
those  thronging  the  temple  steps,  reap  a  rich  harvest 
of  alms ;  for  the  giving  of  alms  is  supposed  to  procure 
remission  of  sins.  At  a  flight  of  ancient  stone  steps 
were  crouched  groups  of  lepers  begging  and  praying. 
With  faces  swollen  and  disfigured,  with  eyes  bloodshot, 
and  often  sightless,  their  maimed  limbs  showing  terrible 
open  sores  or  decaying  stumps,  they  appeal  to  the 
charity  of  all  less  miserable  than  themselves.  Even 
the  better- off  leper  coming  with  offering  and  prayers  to 
Kato  Kiyomasa's  shrine  will  fling  a  coin  and  add  a 
prayer  that  he  may  not  one  day  be  reduced  to  the  same 
plight.  Above  is  the  shrine  with  its  attendant  build- 
ings ;  a  drum  beats  from  time  to  time,  and  a  wailing 
chant  is  constantly  heard  whilst  some  with  rosaries 
and  up-lifted  hands  and  faces  pray  earnestly  for  mercy. 
The  lepers  are  regarded  as  outcasts,  and  the  shame 
caused  to  the  family  is  concealed  as  long  as  possible. 
In  the  case  of  many  to  be  seen  at  the  temple  all  self- 
respect  has  vanished ;  the  money  given  by  relations  or 
friends  is  gone  ;  the  handful  of  coppers  gained  by  begging 
may  provide  food,  a  lodging  in  the  foul  dens  kept  and 
resorted  to  by  lepers,  and  enough  of  "  sake  "  to  drown 
the  torturing  misery  which  in  many  cases  ends  in 
starvation  or  suicide. 

Let  us  contrast  this  scene  with  that  at  the  usual 
Sunday  afternoon  service  in  the  hospital, 


KUMAMOTO  :  CHURCH  AND  HOSPITAL     131 

All  the  lepers  able  to  attend  divine  service  are  seated 
in  orderly  rows  upon  their  cushions.  It  is  a  large  room 
of  thirty  to  forty  mats,  one  side  of  which  opens  on  to  the 
verandah  and  garden.  The  visitors  sit  within  the 
Communion  rails  beside  the  organist,  and  enter  by 
the  sliding  doors  behind  the  Communion  Table.  No 
one  who  is  not  a  leper  ever  goes  beyond  the  rails  : 
from  them  the  chaplain  gives  instruction,  reads  the 
service,  and  administers  the  sacraments.  For  the  use 
of  the  lepers  a  separate  Communion  cup  and  paten  of 
pure  silver  has  been  given  by  a  friend  in  memory  of  her 
son,  a  young  officer,  who  died  in  India  of  fever.  As 
the  visitor  sits  listening  to  the  singing,  so  bright  and 
earnest,  hearing  the  same  words  of  Scripture  that  bring 
their  message  of  peace  and  healing  to  all  hearts  alike, 
the  contrast  between  this  scene  and  that  at  the  leper 
temple  is  realized.  At  the  Hommyoji  temple  the 
lepers  were  looked  on  as  the  world's  outcasts  ; 
here  they  were  united  in  the  worship  of  the  one  God 
and  Saviour  of  men.  Here  in  this  quiet  chapel  were  to 
be  seen  lepers  with  their  wounds  dressed  and  their 
sufferings  alleviated,  and  with  self-respect  and  even 
quiet  gladness  restored  to  them. 


CHAPTER  XII 
The  Missions  of  the  Canadian  Church  in  Japan 

Introductory      Note — The      "Canadian      Church     Missionary 
Society"  (C.C.M.S.)  at  Nagoya,  Gifu,  and  at  Toyohashi. 

In  1902  the  General  Synod  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in 
the  Dominion  of  Canada  formed  a  Missionary  Society 
for  home  and  foreign  Missions.  Since  then  those 
Missions  of  the  Canadian  Church  which  formerly  re- 
ceived grants-in-aid  from  the  S.P.G.  have  ceased  to 
be  affiliated  with  the  parent  Society,  and  are  self- 
supporting  and  independent  branches  of  the  "  Mis- 
sionary Society  of  the  Canadian  Church,"  or  M.S.C.C. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  Canadian  section  of  the  C.M.S. 
or  C.C.M.S.,  though  recognized  as  part  of  the  "  General 
Missionary  Society  "  of  the  Church  in  Canada,  has  not 
changed  its  relation  to  the  C.M.S.  in  England,  in  regard 
to  organization.  Though  financially  self-supporting, 
its  funds  still  form  part  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society's  accounts. 

In  the  diocese  of  South  Tokyo,  the  two  Canadian 
Missions  are  both  at  work.  There  is  the  "  Canadian 
Church  Missionary  Society  "  (C.C.M.S.),  which  founded 
the  **  Sei  Kokwai "  Missions  at  Nagoya,  Gifu,  and 
Toyohashi,  working  in  affiliation  with  the  C.M.S. 
organization  and  under  its  direction  ;  and  in  the  same 
diocese,  in  the  Shinshu  and  Echigo  provinces,  there  is 
the    "  Missionary   Society   of   the   Canadian   Church " 

133 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN   133 

(M.S.C.C.),  which  supports  its  Missions  under  the  direct 
superintendence  of  the  bishop. 

The  "  Canadian  Church  Missionary  Society " 
(C.C.M.S.)  in  the  Aichi  and  Gifu  Provinces. — The 
Mission  work  of  the  Canadian  Church  in  these  provinces 
was  begun  in  1888  by  the  "  Wychffe  Mission,"  an  organi- 
zation supported  by  past  and  present  students  of 
Wychffe  CoUege,  Toronto.  The  Mission  began  its 
work  at  Nagoya,  the  Rev.  J.  C.  and  Mrs.  Robinson  being 
the  first  foreign  missionaries  sent  out  by  the  Church  of 
England  in  Canada.  They  found  on  their  arrival  five 
members  of  the  Sei  Kokwai  living  in  the  city,  but  this 
little  band  became  dispersed  within  the  first  six  months, 
and  without  an  interpreter  or  assistance  of  any  kind  the 
missionaries  had  to  commence  at  the  very  beginning. 
The  first  converts  (four  adults  and  a  child)  were  bap- 
tized on  Christmas  Day,  1889,  having  been  taught  with 
the  assistance  of  a  Methodist  Christian,  who  kindly 
offered  to  act  as  interpreter.  During  the  next  ten 
years  the  Mission  was  strengthened  by  the  arrival  of  three 
Canadian  clergy  and  six  lady  missionaries. 

In  1896  the  Wychffe  College  Mission  became  merged 
in  the  recently  formed  Canadian  Church  Missionary 
Association  of  the  C.M.S.,  one  of  the  Canadian  mis- 
sionaries was  appointed  to  the  C.M.S.  station  of  Giftc, 
where  work  had  already  been  carried  on  for  several  years. 
The  same  year  a  new  C.M.S.  station  was  established  at 
Toyohashi,  forty-five  miles  east  of  Nagoya.  With  the 
exception  of  two  C.M.S.  ladies  working  at  the  Gifu 
station,  the  work  of  the  Church  in  these  two  large 
provinces  of  2  J  millions  is  in  the  hands  of  Canadian 
missionaries. 

Nagoya,  the  fourth  city  in  Japan  as  regards  popula- 
tion, is  situated  235  miles  west  of  Tokyo  and  94  miles 
east  of  Kyoto.  As  a  manufacturing  centre,  and  a  large 
railway  terminus  and  junction,  it  is  becoming  increas- 


134  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

ingly  important.  It  is  the  chief  market  for  the  richly 
laden  rice-fields  of  the  surrounding  plain,  which  is  one 
of  the  largest,  most  fruitful,  and  densely  populated  in 
the  whole  of  Japan.  The  part  of  it  which  is  known  as 
Owari,  of  which  the  city  is  almost  the  centre,  has  a 
population  of  over  870,000  living  on  619  square  miles. 
When  the  new  railway  line  from  Nagoya,  which  is 
shortly  to  be  completed,  opens  up  the  resources  of 
Shinshu  and  other  provinces  of  the  central  interior, 
it  will  also  become  the  chief  distributing  centre  for  the 
silk  and  other  produce  of  those  districts. 

Nagoya  is  also  important  as  one  of  the  principal 
garrison  towns  of  the  country,  the  residence  of  the 
Governor  of  the  province,  and  the  seat  of  the  adminis- 
trative council.  The  city  closely  resembles  Tokyo  in 
one  particular  at  least,  the  site  of  either  place  having 
been  chosen  on  account  of  the  strategic  advantages  of 
its  position  about  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century.  By 
the  building  of  its  famous  and  beautiful  castle  (now  an 
Imperial  palace),  which  is  surmounted  by  its  pair  of 
golden  dolphins  valued  at  £18,000,  as  a  palace  for  a 
son  of  the  first  Shogun,  Nagoya  became  a  place  of  im- 
portance, and  has  continued,  like  Tokyo,  to  grow  and 
prosper  ever  since.  It  also  possesses  in  the  eastern 
Hongwanji  the  largest  temple  in  Japan,  and  ranks  next 
to  Kyoto  as  a  centre  of  Buddhist  influence.  Until 
recently  the  people  of  Nagoya  had  the  reputation  of 
being  peculiarly  bigoted  and  for  showing  a  great  hostility 
to  Christianity.  This  hostility  has  been  partly  due  to 
a  fear  of  endangering  their  commercial  success.  The 
people  of  Nagoya  are  a  community  of  shop-keepers. 
They  have  been  unwilling  to  have  dealings  with  any 
who  might  hinder  them  in  this  engrossing  pursuit,  and 
have  felt  indignant  with  all  who  welcomed  the  preaching 
and  teaching  of  Christianity,  as  being  likely  to  retard 
the  progress  of  their  city  and  district.     But  signs  have 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    135 

not  been  wanting  of  late  to  show  that  a  change  of  atti- 
tude is  being  brought  about  in  the  Nagoya  district,  and  a 
respectful  hearing  is  generally  given  to  the  Gospel 
message.  The  change  which  has  taken  place  in  other 
districts  as  well  as  here  is  in  part  due  to  the  disrepute 
into  which  Buddhism  has  fallen.  The  scandalous  mis- 
appropriation of  large  sums  of  money  by  the  Abbots 
of  one  of  the  largest  Buddhist  sects,  and  the  unseemly 
disputes  between  Nagoya  and  Kyoto,  the  rival  claimants 
for  the  custodianship  of  Buddha's  bones,  which  were 
presented  to  the  Buddhists  of  Japan  by  the  King  of  Siam, 
has  done  much  to  shake  the  confidence  of  the  people  of 
this  district. 


The  Church  began  its  Mission  work  sixteen  years  ago 
in  the  western  section  of  the  city,  situated  on  low  ground 
and  separated  from  the  main  part  by  a  canal.  This 
district  has  a  population  of  40,000,  and  until  the  last  few 
years  had  no  other  Christian  Mission  work  in  it.  The 
prospects  were  bright  at  first,  but  before  long  bitter 
opposition  set  in.  For  many  years  the  work  was  sadly 
hindered  and  the  congregation  of  St.  James'  remained 
small,  even  after  the  spiritual  outlook  at  Nagoya  became 
generally  more  encouraging.  Two  years  ago  the  C.M.S. 
Mission-room  was  made  into  a  temporary  church  (St. 
John's),  the  congregation  becoming  responsible  for  the 
rent.  There  became  then  two  distinct  Church  congre- 
gations at  Nagoya  with  an  aggregate  membership  of 
about  eighty.  After  various  difficulties  had  been 
overcome  St.  John's  Church  obtained  a  home  of  its  own. 
Land  was  bought  and  a  two-storeyed  building  was 
erected,  containing  class-rooms  with  a  parsonage  beneath 
and  a  church-hall  with  chancel  and  vestry  in  the  upper 
storey.  With  its  open  timbered  roof  and  ecclesi- 
astical appearance,  it  will  be  a  more  suitable  building 


136  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

than  was  the  httle  temporary  Mission-room    church, 
besides  being  much  larger. 

In  addition  to  the  two  churches,  there  is  the  central 
Mission-hall  on  Hommachi,  one  of  the  two  most  im- 
portant streets  in  Nagoya.  If  forms  a  good  evangelistic 
centre  for  the  preachings,  which  are  held  several  nights 
a  week.  Being  near  to  the  barracks,  the  audience  is 
generally  half  composed  of  soldiers  on  their  way  back  to 
quarters.  The  war  has  not  emptied  the  hall  on  preach- 
ing night,  but  has  rather  provided  more  listeners. 
During  the  days  of  mobilization,  when  night  after  night 
regiments  would  be  entrained  for  the  front,  the  Mission- 
hall  was  full  of  people  waiting  to  stream  out  at  intervals 
and  to  cheer  the  soldiers  as  they  marched  along  the 
streets.  On  they  would  come,  marching  cheerily  after 
their  bugles,  and  people  all  along  the  streets  as  they 
passed  would  sing  out  **  Banzai,  banzai,  banzai."  When 
a  company  or  regiment  had  gone,  a  hymn  would  bring 
in  another  congregation,  to  turn  out  shortly,  as  had  the 
earlier  one,  in  order  to  speed  the  departing  troops.  Such 
interruptions  did  not  allow  of  attentive  listeners,  though 
they  increased  their  number.  The  war  has  not,  on  the 
whole,  interrupted  the  regular  evangelistic  work.  Not 
only  have  there  been  more  listeners,  but  there  have  been 
more  earnest,  and  a  larger  number  of  inquirers.  Scan- 
dalous reports  spread  about  in  the  spring  by  the  ill- 
disposed  that  Christians  were  as  bad  as  the  Russians, 
and  that  their  friends  were  spies,  created  pain  and  mis- 
understanding for  a  time.  But  when  the  scandal  went 
so  far  as  to  implicate  leading  professional  men  and 
officers  of  high  rank,  it  collapsed  from  its  very  absurdity. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  good  folks  at  Nagoya  have  seen 
Christianity  illustrated  by  works  of  charity  and  good- 
will towards  their  brave  soldiers.  Throughout  the 
country,  and  nowhere  more  than  at  Nagoya,  Christians 
and  non-Christians  alike  contributed  cheerfully  both 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    137 

work  and  money.  The  war  drew  together  the  hearts 
of  behevers  and  unbeUevers  ;  it  helped  in  the  provinces, 
as  at  Nagoya,  to  break  down  the  prejudices  of  old 
customs,  of  superstition,  and  the  dislike  for  the 
foreigner  which  had  interfered  with  the  effects  of  Chris- 
tian teaching.  So  far  were  the  Christians  from  being 
regarded  as  Russian  spies,  that  the  general  in  command 
of  the  Nagoya  garrison  gave  permission  for  Christian 
work  to  be  carried  on  in  the  barracks. 

For  this  purpose  the  Christian  missionaries  of  the 
town  divided  the  barracks  amongst  them,  the  engineers 
and  artillery  being  assigned  to  the  Sei  Kokwai.  On  the 
parade  ground,  when  the  men  were  off  guard  duty, 
Mr.  Hamilton  and  his  catechist  had  as  many  as  200  at 
a  time  drawn  up  in  a  hollow  square  for  a  half-hour  of 
Christian  talk,  followed  by  a  distribution  of  Gospels 
and  tracts  to  those  who  wished  to  read.  When  the 
hospitals  became  full  of  wounded  men  who  came  back 
from  the  front — and  none  but  the  convalescent  got  as 
far  back  as  Nagoya — Christian  ladies  obtained  permission 
to  pay  them  weekly  visits  in  the  wards.  Kindly  words 
were  spoken,  and  copies  of  the  Gospels,  Christian  papers 
and  other  illustrated  papers  were  distributed.  Once  a 
week  a  special  meeting  was  allowed,  when  hymns  were 
sung  and  short  addresses  were  given. 

The  war  did  not  stop  the  usual  work  of  Sunday-school 
teaching,  house-to-house  visiting,  and  the  various 
classes  for  Bible  lessons,  and  Church  instruction,  which 
were  carried  on  by  the  foreign  missionaries,  the  cate- 
chists,  and  the  bible- women.  Sewing  and  knitting 
meetings  in  aid  of  the  armies  in  the  field  took  the  place 
of  cooking  lessons  and  helped  to  draw  both  Christian 
and  non-Christian  together  on  a  friendly  footing,  and 
to  widen  the  circle  of  Christian  influence.  Much  of  the 
cordiality  shown  by  the  garrison  officials  to  the  mis- 


138  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

sionaries  of  late  has  been  due  to  the  indirect  influence 
of  such  social  meetings,  and  of  the  classes  for  Bible  study 
and  for  English  which  have  been  held  from  time  to  time. 

One  work  which  has  long  been  carried  on  by  one  of 
the  lady  missionaries  has  done  much  to  bring  the  mothers 
and  children  together,  viz.  kindergarten  class,  which  she 
holds  in  her  house  for  twenty  or  thirty  little  boys  and 
girls,  several  mornings  in  the  week.  They  are  very  shy 
when  they  see  a  visitor,  but  the  happy  marching  and 
singing  altogether,  and  the  laughter  and  play  in  between 
whiles,  testify  to  the  success  of  the  class. 

An  institution  for  the  training  of  another  class  of 
children  is  the  Y  or  din,  which  in  Nagoya  means  "  Home 
for  young  and  old."  It  was  started  after  the  earth- 
quake of  1891  to  provide  a  home  for  a  few  aged  and 
friendless  people  who  were  left  destitute  and  homeless. 
Thirteen  old  men  and  women  were  admitted,  and  funds 
proving  more  than  sufficient  to  provide  these  with  a 
permanent  home,  a  few  children  left  destitute  by  the 
same  cause  were  taken  in  until  they  could  be  sent  to 
some  other  institution.  Later  on,  it  was  realized 
how  many  children  there  are  in  Japan  who,  for  want  of 
a  helping  hand,  drift  into  the  ranks  of  the  beggars  and 
thieves,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  Home  should 
divide  its  help  between  the  old  and  the  young.  About 
twenty  boys  live  in  the  Home  and  learn  a  useful  trade, 
such  as  porcelain  painting,  the  famed  industry  of  the 
town  and  neighbourhood.  The  bad  influence  of  their 
former  surroundings  occasionally  gives  cause  for  anxiety, 
and  at  one  time,  four  or  five  years  ago,  there  was  trouble 
through  discontent  and  opposition  to  authority. 

In  Japan  it  is  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  for 
school  boys  to  go  out  on  strike  because  of  dissatisfac- 
tion with  a  teacher.  Sometimes  they  secure  the  dis- 
charge of  the  objectionable  teacher.  With  the  boys  at 
the  Home  the  matter  was  gone  into  carefully.     Kind- 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN   139 

ness  and  firmness  combined  brought  most  of  them  round 
to  a  better  frame  of  mind,  but  of  two  or  three  an  example 
by  expulsion  had  to  be  made.  The  last  reports  show 
satisfactory  progress  among  the  boys,  for  which  the 
Home  now  practically  exists,  there  being  but  six  old 
people  left  out  of  the  original  number. 

The  country  work  around  Nagoya  and  the  fresh  work 
started  about  a  year  ago  in  another  district  of  the  city 
near  St.  James'  Church  are  generally  encouraging.  The 
chief  out-stations  of  Nagoya  (Inuyama,  Ichinomiya, 
and  Tsushima)  are  towns  which  owe  their  prosperity  to 
the  possession  of  celebrated  temples.  For  many  years 
it  has  been  difficult  to  gain  a  foothold  for  Christianity  in 
these  places.  But  during  the  last  few  years  some  men 
of  influence  living  in  these  towns  have  invited  the 
missionaries  to  hold  meetings  in  their  houses,  whilst 
the  Buddhist  priests,  whose  opposition  was  formerly 
bitter,  have  now  little  success  in  the  holding  of  opposi- 
tion meetings. 

Gifu,  in  the  province  of  Mino,  is  the  capital  of  the 
prefecture  of  Gifu.  It  is  an  important  town,  about 
twenty  miles  north  of  Nagoya,  and  lies  at  the  foot  of 
the  southern  slopes  of  the  mountains,  which  shield  it 
from  the  north.  From  a  conical  fir-clad  hill,  close  to 
the  town,  a  view  can  be  obtained  of  the  mountain 
heights  of  the  Hida  ranges  which  hem  in  Shinshu  and 
Hida,  and  render  these  provinces  of  Central  Japan  in- 
accessible from  the  south.  Gifu  itself  is  noted  for  its 
silk  crepe,  which  is  made  from  the  admixture  of  the  silk 
of  the  silkworm,  which  is  produced  in  large  quantities 
in  the  neighbourhood.  The  glittering  threads  of  this 
silk,  which  take  the  dyes  in  a  less  degree  than  that  of 
the  ordinary  silkworm,  are  introduced  to  form  the 
pattern.  Another  industry  of  the  town  is  paper  ;  its 
paper  lanterns,  and  its  manufacture  of  small  paper 
pictures  of  flowers  and  birds,  dyed  upon    transparent 


140  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

tissue-paper  sheets,  being  especially  popular.  These 
httle  pictures  are  often  works  of  art,  and  are  used  in 
the  paper  d'oyleys,  which  are  fashionable  in  European 
restaurants,  or  for  the  decoration  of  any  superfluous 
panes  of  glass  in  the  Europeanized  shoji  of  a  Japanese 
house. 

From  the  succession  of  terrible  earthquakes  which 
occurred  in  1891,  and  devastated  a  large  area  of  the  Main 
Island,  Gifu  and  the  surrounding  district  suffered  most 
severely.  Throughout  Japan  ove  22,000  persons  were 
killed  or  injured  and  a  milhon  and  a  half  were  rendered 
homeless.  Gifu  itself  and  some  of  the  neighbouring 
towns  were  almost  entirely  destroyed  by  either  the 
shock  or  the  consequent  fires  which  broke  out. 

Three  years  before  this  disaster  a  Church  Mission  had 
been  started  in  Gifu  by  the  Rev.  E.  F.  Chappell,  who  was 
at  that  time  unconnected  with  any  society  ;  in  1890 
he  was  accepted  by  the  C.M.S.  as  a  missionary  in  "  local 
connexion  "  and  the  town  thus  became  one  of  their 
stations.  He  was  on  an  itinerating  tour  when  the 
catastrophe  happened,  and  returned  to  find  Gifu  in 
flames,  but  his  wife  and  family  and  nearly  all  the  native 
Christians  had  escaped  injury.  The  building  used  for  a 
church  was  destroyed,  but  the  Mission-house  had  stood 
the  shock.  He  organized  a  rehef  fund  for  the  sufferers, 
and  subsequently  opened  an  orphanage  for  the  children 
of  those  who  were  killed.  Assistance  came  also  from 
the  missionaries  at  Osaka,  who  gave  aid  in  nursing  and 
caring  for  the  sufferers  at  Ogaki,  Imao  and  other  places 
in  the  near  neighbourhood.  These  proofs  of  love  and 
sympathy,  shown  alike  by  native  and  foreign  Christians, 
did  much  to  break  down  prejudice  and  to  incline  the 
hearts  of  the  people  towards  Christianity.  Since  then 
the  work  has  gone  on,  with  steady  progress,  after  a  period 
of  decline  following  upon  that  outburst  of  gratitude 
and   interest.      Each    year    gives    more    reason    for 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    141 

hopefulness.  At  Gifu  the  Church  congregation  numbers 
about  seventy  members,  and,  besides  their  evangehstic 
work  in  the  town,  the  Society's  missionary,  the  Rev. 
A.  Lea,  now  in  charge,  assisted  by  his  catechists 
and  the  C.M.S.  lady  missionaries  attached  to  the  sta- 
tion, do  an  increasing  amount  of  country  work.  Their 
itinerating  lies  throughout  the  towns  and  villages  of  the 
great  plain  which  spreads  to  the  south  of  Gifu  in  the 
form  of  a  fan.  Within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles,  and 
with  Ogaki,  Imao,  Jaike,  and  Kano  for  the  chief  out- 
stations  of  the  Mission,  preaching,  Bible-classes,  and 
meetings  for  women  and  children  are  regularly  carried 
on  throughout  the  year.  The  missionary-in-charge 
writes  of  the  pleasure  of  bicycling  over  the  level  country 
roads,  or  along  the  raised  embankments  at  their  sides, 
with  a  beautiful  avenue  of  pines  on  the  one  hand  and  a 
river  alive  with  small  craft  on  the  other,  and  withal  the 
mountains  never  out  of  sight. 

In  Gifu  itself  the  missionaries  have  to  get  into  touch 
with  the  students  of  the  town.  In  English  classes  for 
boys  and  young  men,  while  unable  to  teach  Christian 
doctrine  directly,  they  have  introduced  Christian  thought 
and  teaching  to  their  consideration  by  talks  and  dis- 
cussion upon  foreign  customs  and  history. 

For  two  years  or  more  a  Home  was  provided  for  ex- 
prisoners.  Between  thirty-five  and  forty  men  were 
taken  from  the  doors  of  the  prison  upon  their  release, 
and  under  the  guarantee  of  police  surveillance,  were 
given  a  home  and  occupation  until  employment  could 
be  found  for  them.  The  results  gained  were  on  the 
whole  encouraging.  Another  special  work  for  the 
rescue  of  women  from  the  evil  life  of  the  Yoshiwara  has 
been  carried  on  the  past  year  or  two.  The  few  already 
reclaimed  are  now  leading  respectable  lives,  and  the 
police  give  willing  aid  in  this  work. 

The    Gifti     Church    School    for    the    Blind    has   a 


142  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

special  interest.  The  missionary-in-charge  writes 
concerning  it,  in  1903  : — "  It  is  not  generally  known 
that  in  the  empire  which  boasts  the  name  of  the  '  Land 
of  the  Rising  Sun  '  there  are  no  less  than  50,000  persons 
who  never  see  that  sun — a  vast  multitude  to  whom  the 
beauties  of  light  and  shadow,  colour  and  form  have 
absolutely  no  meaning.  A  brief  residence  in  the 
country  is  sufficient  to  familiarize  one  with  the  notes  of 
the    two -piped   whistle    and    the    prolonged,    plaintive 

cry,   "  A m' ma !  '  ;  heard  till  midnight  in 

the  streets  of  the  towns  of  Japan.  Lamps  and  electric 
light  have  done  much  to  transform  and  relieve  the 
gloom  of  the  thoroughfares,  but  the  dark,  narrow  streets, 
the  endless  line  of  low  eaves  and  here  and  there  the 
rayless  light  of  a  chochin  (paper  lantern)  creeping  across 
the  street,  are  still  characteristic  of  the  towns  of  the 
interior,  and  show  that  mediaeval  Japan  has  not  yet 
completely  passed  away.  Add  to  this  the  blind  sham- 
pooer  making  his  nightly  round,  uttering  his  melan- 
choly] '  A m' ma ! '  and  you  have  a  picture 

unutterably  weird,  inexpressibly  sad.  The  condition 
under  which  these  vast  numbers  live,  their  employ- 
ments and  means  of  livelihood  and  the  attitude  of 
society  towards  them  cannot  be  matters  of  indifference 
to  those  for  whom  the  *  brotherhood  of  man  '  has  any 
meaning. 

"  About  2  per  cent,  of  the  blind  of  Japan  gain  a  live- 
lihood by  music  ;  the  remaining  98  per  cent,  sustain 
themselves  almost  entirely  as  amma  (shampooers, 
practicers  of  a  kind  of  massage).  One  might  be  in- 
clined to  think  that  the  introduction  of  Western  civiliz- 
ation would  tend  to  better  the  condition  of  these  un- 
fortunates ;  but  the  exact  reverse  is  the  case.  The 
*  amma  '  of  olden  days  was  the  successful  competitor 
of  the  physician,  whose  place  in  part  he  filled.  But  the 
introduction  of  medical  science  has  robbed  the  '  amma  ' 


COUNTRY  WALK  NEAR  IKAN 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    143 

of  his  means  of  livelihood.  From  birth  handicapped 
in  the  struggle  for  hfe,  he  has  of  late  been  compelled  to 
contend  in  unequal  combat  with  the  scientifically 
trained  physician.  The  result  is  that  the  vast  majority 
of  the  50,000  blind  of  Japan  are  threatened  with  desti- 
tution. 

"  The  only  solution  of  the  problem  seems  to  be  in 
the  possibility  of  their  obtaining  a  knowledge  of  scien- 
tific massage.  But  a  consideration  of  ways  and  means 
shows  that  the  difficulties  are  at  present  insuperable. 
The  Educational  Department,  which  has  wrought  such 
wonders  in  Japanese  general  education,  is  still  fully 
occupied  in  attempting  to  perfect  its  system  through- 
out the  country.  It  seems  to  have  neither  time  nor 
means  to  take  up  the  question  of  the  education  of  the 
blind.  There  is  one  institution  in  Tokyo,  assisted  to  a 
limited  extent  by  the  Government,  and  another  in 
Kyoto,  assisted  by  the  city  and  also  a  few  small  private 
institutions  in  other  parts  of  Japan.  But  the  number 
of  students  in  all  probabihty  does  not  exceed  300. 
Apart  from  the  Gifu  Blind  School  and  two  other  Chris- 
tian institutions  of  limited  means  and  capacity,  there 
are  no  organizations  which  offer  to  assist  the  blind  that 
are  too  poor  to  support  themselves  during  a  course  of 
training. 

"  The  Gifu  Blind  School  had  its  foundation  in  work 
begun  by  the  Rev.  A.  F.  Chappell  soon  after  the  great 
earthquake  of  1891.  A  building  was  first  erected  and 
lent  free  of  charge  to  a  committee  of  blind  men,  who 
used  it  as  a  school,  clubroom,  etc.,  under  the  supervision 
of  Mr.  Chappell.  In  1894  the  institution  was  changed 
into  a  bhnd  school  pure  and  simple,  under  the  principal- 
ship  of  Mr.  J.  K.  Mori,  a  Gifu  catechist  who  lost 
his  own  sight  under  distressing  circumstances  The 
buildings  purchased  in  1897  were  remodelled  and 
extended    during  the  year  1900.    These    changes,  to- 


144  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

gether  with  the  wiping  out  of  the  debt  incurred  in  the 
enlargement  of  the  premises,  were  due  to  the  exertions 
of  Rev.  H.  J.  Hamilton,  who,  until  recently,  was  in 
charge  of  the  C.M.S.  work  in  Gifu  Ken.  In  spite  of 
the  smallness  of  the  amount  collected  for  the  work,  the 
school  was  brought  to  a  high  state  of  efficiency,  and  in 
point  of  management  and  economy  leaves  nothing  to  be 
desired. 

"  Since  the  organization  of  the  work  as  a  school  about 
fifty  students  have  entered,  male  and  female  students 
in  the  proportion  of  four  to  one. 

"  The  institution  is  steadily  gaining  recognition  as  an 
efficient  school,  capable  of  doing  thorough  and  success- 
ful work  in  this  branch  of  education.  During  the  year 
just  ended  a  number  of  invitations  from  the  various 
Educational  Societies  of  Gifu  and  the  neighbouring 
prefectures  have  been  received  by  the  principal,  and 
opportunities  given  to  explain  the  methods  and  principles 
of  the  school.  Whenever  possible  these  invitations  have 
been  accepted,  the  principal  taking  with  him  a  number 
of  pupils  as  practical  illustrations  of  the  training  given 
in  the  institution.  In  every  case  the  faciUty  of  the 
students  in  reading,  writing,  calculation  on  the  abacus 
and  the  extent  to  which  the  inconveniences  of  blindness 
may  be  reduced  by  training  have  excited  general 
admiration  and  aroused  interest  in  the  work. 

"  It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  fact  of 
the  school's  being  a  Christian  institution  has  hindered 
to  a  considerable  extent  the  financial  support  of  those 
who  are  not  in  sympathy  with  Christianity.  However, 
during  the  years  1902-3,  the  Japanese  contributions 
rose  to  nearly  500  yen,  which  is  treble  the  amount 
subscribed  in  any  previous  year.  This  amount  was 
contributed  mainly  with  a  view  to  the  purchase  of 
new  apparatus  and  improvement  of  the  premises. 

"  The  school  is  doing  its  work  quietly  and  thoroughly, 


o 

3 

H 

^ 

J 

"S 

Oh 

o 

§ 

O 

W 

S 

H 

^ 

(X! 

■^ 

^ 

03 

Q 

^ 

<5 

<< 

_2 

tt^ 

Oj 

H 

B 

s 

H 

p 

b£ 

2 

a 

-^ 

D 

S£ 

Z 

.^ 

a 

J5 

C 

< 

"m 

o 

_: 

H 

i2 

z 

3 

ijj 

^ 

w 

a 

a 

-T 

2i 

OT 

[-( 

O 

>^ 

a 

« 

H 

P^ 

[_, 

H 

ffi 

z 

o 

CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    145 

loyal  to  the  principles  on  which  it  was  founded.  It  has 
gained  the  confidence  of  all  who  have  come  into  contact 
with  it,  and  its  graduates  going  into  various  parts  have, 
we  believe,  become  little  centres  of  influence  for  good, 
and  are  thereby  justifying  the  time  and  money  spent  on 
their  behalf." 

Toyohashi  is  a  thriving  garrison  town  of  18,000  in- 
habitants situated  on  the  shores  of  an  inner  reach  of 
Owari  Bay,  about  forty-five  miles  south-east  of  Nagoya, 
and  on  the  main  railroad  between  that  city  and  the 
capital.  With  its  numerous  villages  it  has  a  population 
of  about  200,000,  all  of  which  are  within  easy  reach  of 
Toyohashi. 

Work  was  begun  here  by  the  C.M.S.  in  1896,  when  the 
Rev.  J.  M.  Baldwin,  formerly  of  the  Canadian  Wycliffe 
Hall  Mission  at  Nagoya,  was  appointed  to  take  charge 
of  this  new  station.  Before  this  the  Greek  Church  had 
had  a  Mission  at  Toyohashi  for  many  years,  and  the 
Roman  Catholics,  and  also  the  Methodists  were  re- 
presented, but  of  Sei  Kokwai  Christians  there  were 
but  two  or  three  members,  visited  by  the  clergy 
from  Nagoya.  The  people,  being  less  bigoted  than 
at  Nagoya,  were  more  approachable,  and  the  difficulty 
has  been  the  lack  of  missionaries  rather  than  any  op- 
position to  Christian  teaching. 

From  the  first  Mr.  Baldwin  received  a  welcome 
assistance  from  the  Crown  Prosecutor  (or  "  Kenji  ") 
of  the  town,  himself  a  Methodist ;  and  a  house  to  serve 
as  preaching-place  and  catechist's  house  was  soon 
secured.  The  preaching-house  then  became  a  centre  of 
influence.  Men  of  all  classes,  officers,  doctors,  and 
government  officials,  came  to  listen ;  some  stayed,  and 
afterwards  returned  as  inquirers.  Before  long  a  night- 
school  was  started  for  the  study  of  English  and  the 
Bible,  and,  as  at  other  places,  the  study  of  the  Bible 
for  its  own  sake  created  the  chief  interest  amongst  the 

L 


146  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

students.  By  classes,  earnest  preaching  and  constant 
house-to-house  visiting,  a  httle  congregation  of  Sei 
Kokwai  Christians  was  built  up,  until  in  1903,  after 
seven  years'  work,  the  Church  members  numbered  forty- 
five,  of  whom  thirty-four  were  communicants. 

In  1901  a  lady  missionary  from  Canada  working  in 
local  connexion  with  the  C.M.S.,  came  to  reinforce  the 
Mission.  The  work  in  Toyohashi  itself,  in  neighbouring 
towns,  and  in  the  scattered  villages  around,  has  gone 
on  with  increasing  encouragement  each  year. 

One  or  two  anecdotes  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  way 
in  which  the  work  has  spread. 

About  two  years  ago  a  little  boy,  not  yet  in  his  teens, 
rang  at  the  lady  missionary's  house  and  sent  in  his 
card.  In  doubt  whether  it  might  be  an  officer  or  a 
policeman,  she  invited  the  visitor  to  enter,  and  a  small 
boy  of  eleven  made  his  appearance  with  all  the  cere- 
monious bows  of  a  senior  !  He  asked  very  politely  if 
English  lessons  were  given,  and  it  was  arranged  for 
him  that  if  he  came  to  Sunday-school  on  Sunday  after- 
noons, he  should  be  taught  English  as  well.  Little 
S proved  to  be  one  of  the  brightest  boys  of  the  class. 

He  was  living  with  his  old  grandmother,  and  his  next 
request  was  that  the  missionary  would  call  on  her  ; 
this  led  to  his  grandmother  coming  to  a  women's  meet- 
ing, and  as  her  little  grandson  gave  her  no  peace  unless 
she  was  always  punctual,  however  dark  the  night,  or 
bad  the  roads,  the  old  lady  had  to  be  there.  Then  the 
boy,  or  the  little  missionary  as  he  was  called,  collected 
his  friends  in  the  neighbourhood  and  induced  them  to 
come  to  school  with  him.  As  many  as  ten  or  twelve 
of  these  boys  came  regularly.  A  year  elapsed, 
and  grandmother  and  grandson  both  became  cate- 
c  humens,  and  were  prepared  for  Holy  Baptism  together. 
After  this  he  went  to  his  grandmother's  room  and  took 
the  images  of  the  Buddha  from  the  "  Kamidama,"  or 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    147 

god-shelf,  saying  as  he  took  them  away  to  the  kitchen, 
"  Grandmother,  you  worship  the  One  True  God  now  ; 
you  must  throw  these  away."  Later,  when  they  had 
received  baptism,  these  gods,  who  had  been  worshipped 
so  many  years,  were  taken  into  the  yard  and  burnt. 
Thus  a  little  boy's  enthusiasm,  pluck,  and  faith  were  the 
means  of  bringing  others  to  hear  the  truth,  and  of 
breaking  down  superstitious  reverence  for  idols.  The 
missionary  has  been  this  last  year  to  their  house  to 
prepare  them  for  their  confirmation,  the  old  woman, 
who  had  been  guided  to  the  truth  after  a  lifetime,  and 
the  young  boy,  entering  upon  the  threshold  of  his  man- 
hood and  eager  to  share  his  happiness  with  his  play- 
mates. For  at  these  preparation  lessons  our  little 
missionary  has  gathered  around  him  his  friends,  that 
they  too  may  listen  and  learn. 

Another  story  may  be  told  of  Mrs.  S in  reference 

to  a  village  about  ten  miles  away.  She  was  the  wife 
of  the  headman  of  the  village  and  came  often  to  the 
evangelistic  meetings  when  staying  at  Toyohashi.  In 
time  she  became  a  catechumen,  and  later  was  baptized. 
But  this  did  not  content  her  ;  on  her  return  to  her  own 
village,  where  there  was  not  a  single  Christian,  by  her 
prayers  and  by  the  force  of  her  example  and  loving 
persuasion,  she  induced  first  her  husband,  and  then  her 
children  and  friends,  to  inquire  and  eventually  to 
receive  Holy  Baptism. 

Now  both  husband  and  wife  are  communicants, 
and,  through  her  instrumentality,  a  centre  for  a  future 
congregation  of  Church  members  has  been  formed. 

Work  in  the  town. — ^The  work  in  the  town  is  princi- 
pally among  women  and  children.  For  these  there  are 
meetings  on  different  afternoons  for  women  and  ladies, 
with  individual  visiting,  and  for  the  children  and  girls 
there  are  Sunday-schools  and  classes  for  Bible  and 
Prayer-Book  instruction.    The  Sunday-school    classes, 


148  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

for  boys  and  girls  together,  are  not  large,  but  by  their 
regular  attendance  and  their  knowledge  of  the  Bible,  the 
children  give  great  encouragement  to  their  teachers. 
The  women's  meetings  are  of  various  kinds,  some  being 
for  Christians,  with  a  consecutive  course  of  Bible  in- 
struction, while  others  are  social  weekly  and  monthly 
gatherings  of  different  ladies  with  whom  the  lady 
missionary  may  be  acquainted,  and  who  will  listen  to 
a  little  talk  upon  a  portion  of  Scripture.  To  classes  such 
as  these  come  the  wives  of  doctors,  army  officers,  and 
officials.  Many  are  earnest  inquirers ;  and  at  those 
classes  where  definite  Christian  instruction  is  given,  it 
is  evident  that  the  study  of  the  Bible  attracts  them  the 
most.  But  the  same  obstacles  stand  in  the  way  of 
further  spiritual  advance  for  these  ladies  at  Toyohashi 
as  elsewhere  in  the  provinces.  While  in  the  capital 
Christian  teaching  has  to  contend  with  the  shallow 
curiosity  that  will  follow  anything  new  for  a  time, 
though  the  heart  of  the  hearer  remain  untouched,  in 
provincial  towns  the  difficulties  are  even  greater. 
Conservative  ideas  retain  their  influence  longer  in 
these  towns,  and  even  when  faith  affects  the  heart,  the 
fear  that  Christianity  will  block  the  way  to  social  success 
prevents  its  confession.  Four  ladies  of  the  official 
class  of  Toyohashi  once  said  to  a  lady  missionary, 
"  Though  we  believe  Christianity  to  be  true,  our  husbands 
forbid  us  to  become  Christians." 

Classes  for  men  and  boys  are  held  by  the  missionaries 
and  the  catechist,  for  Biblical  and  Church  teaching, 
both  in  Japanese  and  in  English,  which  are  attended  by 
business  and  professional  men  and  by  students  at  the 
schools.  At  one  class  for  boys  of  the  "  Shogakko " 
(primary  school),  given  in  English,  the  native  missionary 
took  a  course  on  General  Gordon  as  the  type  of  a  noble 
Christian  life.  The  principal  of  the  primary  school  is 
a  member  of  the  Sei  Kokwai  and  has  given  permission 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    149 

for  Bible  classes  to  be  held  for  his  boys  out  of  school 
hours.  Four  of  the  students  have  become  Christians 
from  these  classes,  two  of  whom  are  now  Sunday-school 
teachers  and  are  working  very  earnestly,  and  already 
six  boys  (in  1904)  had  become  inquirers. 

Work  in  the  country  round. — Away  from  Toyohashi, 
the  Tokaido  railway  runs  westward  towards  Kobe  and 
Osaka,  and  inland  to  the  north-east  a  branch  line  is 
being  extended  for  twenty  miles  or  more.  Both  lines 
are  laid  over  the  fiat  country  which  separates  the  coast 
from  the  distant  and  encircling  hills.  Scattered  over 
the  rice-grown  plain  are  towns  and  little  villages,  and 
their  connecting  roads  of  pack-horse  tracks  run  up  into 
the  passes  of  the  mountains,  that  are  ten  to  thirty  miles 
inland.  The  chain  of  mountains,  seen  from  the  railroad 
between  Toyohashi  and  Gifu,  seem  to  guard  the  interior 
of  the  country  all  along  the  way.  In  some  places  their 
spurs  run  down  close  to  the  shore  ;  in  other  places  the 
mountains  retreat. 

Those  towns  and  villages  near  to  Toyohashi  which  are 
on  the  main  and  branch  railways  (such  as  Futagawa, 
Toyokawa,  Shin-shiro  and  Ichinomiya)  can  be  easily 
reached  by  the  missionaries,  and  in  spite  of  much  local 
superstition  and  consequent  ignorance,  evangelistic 
work  is  progressing.  The  same  may  be  said  of  other 
places  which  can  only  be  reached  on  foot  or  by  bicycle, 
but  the  distances,  and  in  bad  weather  the  impossible 
roads,  interrupt  the  work  not  a  little.  Ono  and  Nori- 
moto  are  twenty- three  miles  from  Toyohashi  on  the 
Toyokawa  river.  The  missionaries'  visit  to  these 
villages  six  years  ago  found  a  ready  welcome,  and  the 
missionary  bicycle  and  magic-lantern  are  now  well 
known  ;  sometimes  the  missionaries  go  farther  up  the 
river  to  Kawai,  a  little  town  in  the  hills,  and  there 
preach  either  in  the  open  air  or  in  a  room  lent  for  the 
occasion. 


150  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

At  Toyokawa,  five  miles  on  the  branch  Hne  from  Toyo- 
hashi,  is  a  celebrated  temple  to  Inari,  where  the  fox 
is  worshipped  according  to  local  superstition.  Inari  re- 
presents more  correctly  the  goddess  of  rice,  but  the 
foxes  are  her  guardians,  whose  images  may  often  be 
seen  standing  in  her  temples.  This  place  is  one  of 
the  most  idolatrous  places  in  Japan  ;  it  is  crowded  with 
worshippers  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  special 
trains  are  run  to  Toyokawa  from  Toyohashi  at  the 
festival  seasons,  although  at  other  times  the  temple  is 
neglected. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  that  in  many  villages 
the  people  have  been  found  eager  to  learn  ;  houses  are 
open  to  the  missionary,  and  inquirers  are  waiting  for 
teachers  to  explain  to  them  the  wonderful  story  which 
they  now  have  heard.  Although  Christians  of  several 
denominations  are  working  in  and  near  Toyohashi 
there  is  little  overlapping,  and  in  most  of  the  out-stations 
there  are  none  but  the  Sei  Kokwai  missionaries.  In 
this  district  there  is  work  enough  for  at  least  two  or 
three  additional  missionaries.  Those  on  the  spot  feel 
that  for  one  fresh  house  they  enter  they  are  leaving  two 
in  which  are  men  and  women  desirous  of  hearing  the 
G  ospel. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Missions  of  the  Canadian  Church  in  Japan 
(continued) 

The  "  Missionary  Society  of  the  Church  of  England  in  Canada  " 
(M.S.C.C.)  at  Nagano  and  at  Matsumoto. 

The  district  called  *'  Shinsetsu  "  includes  the  field  of  work 
set  apart  for  the  Missions  of  the  "  Canadian  Board,"  as 
the  M.S.C.C.  is  usually  termed. 

The  railroad  northward  from  Tokyo,  after  branching 
off  from  the  main  line  to  Hokkaido,  runs  across  the  in- 
land plains  and  climbs  the  mountains  of  Shinshu  by 
means  of  a  pass  and  tunnels,  to  the  highlands  of  Karui- 
zawa.  From  there  the  line  descends  gradually  to 
Nagano,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Shinshu,  and  a 
celebrated  Buddhist  centre.  The  prosperity  of  this 
town  of  36,000  inhabitants  is  due  to  its  trade  in  woven 
goods  and  agricultural  implements  and  to  the  fame  of 
its  temple.  It  is  beautifully  situated  at  the  foot  of 
lofty  mountains.  The  temple  of  Zenkoji  carries  its 
history  back  to  the  days  of  ancient  relations  with  Korea, 
when  from  Korea  Japan  received  her  religion  and  her 
culture. 

In  the  temple  is  said  to  be  preserved  the  golden  images 
of  Amida  and  his  followers,  Kwannon  and  Daiseishi, 
made  by  Shaka  Muni  himself,  and  brought  nearly  one 
thousand  years  later  as  a  present  from  the  Korean 
Emperor  to  the  Mikado  in  a.d.  552,  on  the  first  intro- 
duction of  Buddhism  into  Japan. 


152  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

The  reliquary  or  shrine  certainly  dates  as  far  back  as 
the  fourteenth  century,  and  the  buildings  of  the  main 
temple,  which  was  founded  in  a.d.  670,  are  at  least  200 
years  old.  War,  pillage,  and  fire  have  left  their  marks,  yet 
the  Zenkoji  temple  retains  much  of  its  former  grandeur 
in  the  spaciousness  of  its  courts,  the  elaborate  carving 
of  its  gateways,  and  the  magnificence  of  its  votive 
lanterns,  sculptured  animals,  and  shrines ;  and  to-day 
its  retinue  of  attendant  priests  and  nuns,  together  with 
the  thronging  crowds  of  pilgrims,  illustrate  the  hold 
that  Buddhism  still  has  on  the  hearts,  if  not  on  the 
minds,  of  the  people.  The  same  students  of  the  schools 
and  colleges  of  Tokyo  who  are  studying  in  term-time 
the  various  branches  of  Western  science,  go  in  the 
summer  vacation  on  pilgrimages  to  the  shrines  of  Ise,  of 
Kompira,  of  Nagano,  or  to  other  sacred  resorts.  It 
may  be  true  that  they  go  more  for  sight-seeing  than  for 
worship,  and  that  the  old  religion  has  ceased  to  be  a 
matter  of  conscience ;  but  they  have  not  yet  cast  it 
altogether  away. 

For  the  country  farmers  and  tradesmen,  for  the 
peasants  in  every  province  of  Japan — to  whom  the  new 
civilization  from  the  West  is  only  known  by  strange 
and  novel  modes  of  lighting  and  locomotion — the 
temples  of  their  forefathers,  the  festivals  and  the 
legends  of  days  gone  by,  are  still  a  living  force,  and 
receive  as  heretofore  their  veneration,  their  offerings, 
and  their  credulity. 

To  this  centre  of  Buddhist  worship,  in  1892,  came 
the  Rev.  J.G.  and  Mrs.  Waller^  to  endeavour  to  open 

1  The  Rev.  J.  G.  Waller  had  arrived  in  Japan  two  years 
previously  as  the  first  missionary  on  foreign  service  sent  by  the 
Canadian  Church  in  its  corporate  capacity.  He  and  Mrs.  Waller 
were  first  stationed  at  Fukushima,  166  miles  north  of  Tokyo, 
but  on  the  division  of  the  American  and  English  Episcopal 
Missions  into  missionary  jurisdictions,  they  were  transferred 
from  Fukushima  to  Nagano,  and  so  continued  to  be  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  Bishop  Bickersteth. 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN   153 

out  a  fresh  sphere  for  the  Church's  influence.  For  over 
two  years  they  encountered  strong  opposition  from  the 
Buddhist  priests  and  others  who  derived  their  HveH- 
hood  from  the  fame  of  their  great  temple.  Mobs, 
headed  by  priests  in  disguise,  interrupted  and  disturbed 
the  missionary  meetings,  tore  down  their  signboards, 
and  attempted  by  various  devices  to  drive  the  mis- 
sionaries away. 

GraduaUy,  however,  the  Mission  won  its  way  to 
respect  from  the  more  open-minded  of  the  people,  and 
to  an  attitude  of  acquiescence  from  others.  The  late 
Archdeacon  Shaw  reported  in  1896  a  kindly  feeling  on 
the  part  of  the  official  and  educated  classes  towards  the 
missionaries.  Now,  in  place  of  impromptu  meetings, 
often  rudely  disturbed,  the  Christians  worship  in  a  sub- 
stantially built  church,  built  brick  by  brick  by  Mr. 
Waller  and  his  little  band  of  helpers.  At  the  mis- 
sionary hospital  dispensary  may  be  seen  every  day  men 
and  women,  Buddhist  nuns  among  them,  applying  for 
medical  relief.  Instead  of  defaced  Christian  sign- 
boards there  can  be  observed  in  the  Buddhist  temple 
precincts  a  notice  board  with  its  English  translation 
as  corrected  by  their  referee,  Mr.  Waller,  the  missionary 
class- teacher  in  the  Town  "  Chu-Gakko,"  or  Middle 
School. 

Nor  have  work  and  progress  been  confined  to  the  town 
of  Nagano.  Within  two  or  three  years  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Waller,  with  their  catechists  and  Bible-women,  com- 
menced work  in  the  surrounding  villages  and  smaller 
towns.  At  Christmas  of  1896  thirteen  adults  were 
baptized,  and  about  this  time  it  was  feared  that  too 
many  out-stations  might  be  taken  on. 

Work  in  the  Town. — In  1894  a  dispensary  and  nurses' 
training-home  was  started,  and  successfully  carried  on 
for  six  years  by  a  lady  from  Canada,  whose  health 
afterwards  broke  down  and  necessitated  her  return 


154  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

home.  Since  then  the  dispensary  has  been  worked 
for  the  Mission  by  successive  Japanese  doctors,  and  by 
nurses  receiving  their  training.  In  nearly  every  case 
the  nurses  and  doctors  have  been  Christians.  Funds 
contributed  in  Canada  made  it  possible  in  1897  to  secure 
for  the  training-home  and  dispensary  new  and  larger 
quarters  well  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  city.  Here, 
besides  the  medical  work,  the  Mission  has  held  regular 
weekly  meetings  for  catechumens  and  Christians.  At 
these  addresses  and  instruction  with  magic  lantern 
are  given.  At  the  meetings  for  non- Christian  audiences, 
the  evangelistic  preaching  is  generally  well  attended. 
On  Sunday  evenings  also  a  special  service  is  conducted 
suitable  for  "  inquirers,"  to  which  patients  come  on  the 
invitation  of  doctor  or  nurse.  During  the  hard  winters 
which  are  frequently  experienced,  the  dispensary 
becomes  a  rice-kitcjien.  In  the  winter  of  1898,  in 
particular,  the  large  amounts  of  relief  given  to  the 
poor  deserving  persons  sought  out  by  the  catechists, 
and  not  on  the  missionary's  sick  list,  was  thankfully 
appreciated.  The  money  for  this  purpose  was  granted 
by  the  "  Women's  Auxiliary  "  in  Canada. 

This  dispensary  and  nurses'  training-school  exerts 
an  influence  both  on  the  nurses  themselves  and  through- 
out the  district.  The  present  head-nurse  of  St.  Luke's, 
and  another  at  the  Red  Cross  Hospital,  both  in  Tokyo, 
received  their  original  training  in  this  institution  ; 
others,  now  in  private  practice  or  in  their  own  home, 
have  benefited  largely  from  the  training  which  they 
have  received  here.  The  return  of  the  lady  missionary 
(Miss  Smith)  to  Canada  was  a  great  loss  to  Nagano,  and 
a  foreign  resident  evangelistic  worker  at  the  Home  is 
badly  needed  to  assist  in  the  supervision  of  the  nurses, 
and  to  accompany  them  on  their  rounds  of  medical  and 
evangelistic  visits  in  the  town  and  neighbouring  villages. 

In  many  other  ways  the  work  among  women   at 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    155 

Nagano  has  progressed.  A  ''  women's  meeting  "  of  over 
twenty  Christian  mem.bers  was  begun  in  1896,  and  has 
been  a  source  of  encouragement  by  promoting  interest 
and  mutual  friendship  between  neighbours.  It  was 
estabhshed  as  a  branch  of  "  the  Women's  AuxiUary  to 
the  Canadian  Church  Mission  in  Nagano,"  and  with 
it  was  associated  a  "  Dorcas  Guild,"  which  is  employed 
in  knitting,  embroidery,  and  sewing.  Later  on,  from 
this  Christian  "  Fujinkwai,"  grew  a  Jizenkwai,  or 
benevolent  society,  consisting  of  both  Christian  and 
non-Christian  ladies,  and  numbering  thirty  members. 
Friendly  relations  were  established  with  several  new 
families  ;  the  Church-members  were  brought  into  con- 
tact with  many  ladies  whom  difference  of  religion  might 
have  kept  apart ;  and  unbelievers  were  led  to  give  up 
some  of  their  prejudices  against  foreigners  and  Chris- 
tianity. 

English  classes  have  been  held  for  the  teachers  and 
students  of  the  Girls'  Normal  and  High  Schools,  and 
these  too  have  opened  up  intercourse  between  the 
Mission  and  the  townspeople. 

The  Church  of  the  Saviour. — The  Nagano  Mission  has 
possessed  from  early  days  a  building  suitable  for  Divine 
worship.  This  church,  which  was  begun  in  1897,  was 
opened  in  May,  1898.  It  was  consecrated  by  Bishop 
Awdry,  then  recently  appointed  Bishop  of  South  Tokyo 
in  succession  to  the  late  Bishop  Bickersteth,  under  whom 
the  work  had  been  commenced.  The  church  is  of  red 
brick,  pointed  in  stone,  and  is  54  feet  long  by  26  feet 
broad.  It  is  one  of  the  few  Christian  buildings  built 
of  stone  in  the  country.  The  windows,  of  plain  lancet 
form,  and  the  chancel  pillar  shafts  are  in  white  sandstone 
with  simple  mouldings  of  "  Early  English  "  character. 
The  general  fittings  of  this  little  church — its  lectern, 
reading-desk,  etc.,  all  carefully  chosen  and  in  harmony 
with  the  whole,  give  an  air  of  quiet  dignity  which  is  very 


156  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

helpful  to  the  worshippers,  whether  missionary  or  con- 
vert. For  the  missionaries,  their  church  is  a  haven  of 
rest  to  the  eye  and  the  mind,  in  the  midst  of  the  noisy 
life  of  this  busy  town.  It  is  sometimes  said  that  the 
converts,  recoiling  from  the  heathen  symbolism  and 
overloaded  richness  of  the  temples,  might  prefer  a 
church  of  the  plainest  description.  It  may,  however, 
be  urged  that  the  preaching-room,  with  its  secular 
adjuncts  and  week-day  uses,  cannot  promote  feelings  of 
devotion,  and  that  the  Mission  which  saves  its  funds  in 
the  matter  of  church  adornment  may  be  losing  oppor- 
tunities for  instilling  a  sense  of  reverence  into  its  con- 
verts when  in  the  House  of  God.  On  the  occasion  of  a 
Christian  funeral  non-Christians  sometimes  attend 
from  curiosity  or  interest.  Their  behaviour  shows  a 
great  lack  of  reverence  and  solemnity,  but  the  service  of 
Christian  hope  and  faith,  held  in  the  peaceful  church, 
may  have  power  to  influence  their  thoughts. 

If  the  missionary's  words,  heard  once,  sometimes 
brings  forth  fruit,  may  not  the  beauty  and  restfulness 
of  the  Christian's  church — the  reverence  as  well  as 
the  heartiness  of  his  devotions — prove  an  evangelistic 
force  as  fruitful  in  results  ? 

Later  Progress  of  the  Mission. — In  1898,  after  nearly 
eight  years'  service  in  Japan,  Mr.  Waller  and  his  family 
sailed  to  Canada  for  their  well-earned  furlough,  and 
their  departure  from  Nagano  drew  from  all  classes  a 
notable  demonstration  of  goodwill.  It  was  m  strange 
contrast  with  their  early  experience  of  the  town's 
hostility,  and  was  specially  gratifying  because  of  the 
share  taken  by  the  non-Christian  part  of  the  com- 
munity. During  their  absence  the  work  continued 
without  interruption.  The  work  of  the  dispensary 
and  the  training  of  nurses  went  on  extending  and  met 
with  increased  recognition  from  the  official  classes. 
During  a  bad  epidemic  of  dysentery  one  of  the  nurses 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    157 

was  sent  to  Inariyama  (a  neighbouring  town)  to  take 
charge  of  the  Infectious  Hospital ;  the  town  authorities 
showed  their  appreciation  of  her  services  by  giving  a 
present  of  80  yen  (£8)  to  the  Nagano  dispensary.  The 
nursing  of  the  poor  in  their  own  homes  and  the  taking 
entire  charge  of  serious  cases  in  private  famihes  were 
now  undertaken  by  the  nurses  attached  to  the  dis- 
pensary. Since  1902  a  hospital  has  been  built  by  the 
"  Women's  Auxiliary  "  of  Canada,  as  a  thank-offering, 
but  for  the  present  the  building  is  used  as  the  mis- 
sionary's residence,  and  for  classes  and  meetings,  the 
hospital  scheme  being  in  abeyance  until  the  arrival  of 
further  helpers. 

Some  of  the  classes  are  held  for  the  students  of  the 
Middle  School  ("  Chu-Gakko  ")  of  the  province  which 
is  at  Nagano.  Since  his  return  from  furlough,  in  1900, 
Mr.iWaller  has  been  welcomed  there  as  English  master  ; 
and  though  Christian  instruction  can  only  be  given  to 
the  boys  out  of  school  hours,  his  indirect  influence  is 
great,  and  the  fact  of  his  being  on  the  school  staff  pro- 
motes a  good  understanding  between  the  Christians 
and  the  Government  authorities.  The  school  sports 
bear  witness  alike  to  the  athletic  powers,  health  and 
good  tone  of  the  boys.  Their  drill  is  particularly  good, 
and  is  done  with  admirable  precision  in  movement  and 
voice. 

Matsitmoto,  in  Shinshu,  was,  until  1902,  when  the 
railway  reached  it  from  Tokyo,  one  of  the  most  inacces- 
sible Mission  stations  in  the  South  Tokyo  diocese. 
The  town  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  wide,  fertile 
plain,  which  is  well  watered  by  the  river  Saigawa 
and  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  the  lofty  mountains 
of  Shinshu.  It  is  a  centre  of  the  silk  industry  of  the  pro- 
vince. Apart  from  its  trade  and  its  beauty  of  situa- 
tion, the  town  lacks  interest.  Its  former  daim^^o's 
castle,  towering  up  storey  above  storey,  still  remains  in 


158  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

the  midst  of  the  town,  but  otherwise  there  is  Httle 
variety  in  the  hne  of  house  roofs.  The  absence  of 
temples  is  noticeable,  for  although  Nagano,  only  a  day 
distant,  is  famous  as  a  centre  of  Buddhist  worship, 
that  religion  has  never  succeeded  in  gaining  a  hold  on 
the  people  of  Matsumoto.  But  if  Christian  work  in 
Matsumoto  has  not  had  to  contend  with  the  opposing 
force  of  Buddhism  it  has  had  dilficulties  of  other  kinds. 
Shut  off,  as  it  was  till  recently,  from  much  contact  with 
foreigners,  its  people  regarded  them  and  Christianity 
with  distrust  and  dislike.  If  Buddhist  temples  are 
scarce  in  the  neighbourhood,  heathen  shrines  and 
sacred  places  of  primitive  and  grossly  superstitious 
cults  abound  ;  on  the  other  hand,  modern  manufac- 
tures flourish  side  by  side  with  old-established  indus- 
tries. The  town  has  its  banks,  its  police  and  law- 
courts,  its  primary  and  middle  schools,  and  neither 
peasants  nor  the  classes  above  them  are  held  back  by 
any  religious  faith  strong  enough  to  enforce  a  high 
morality.  Among  the  peasantry  there  is  nonmorality 
rather  than  immorality.  Of  the  classes  above,  it 
may  be  said  that  [their  ideals  of  social  morality  have 
not  as  yet  advanced  beyond  the  standards  of  the  ancient 
days.  Consequently  one  meets,  with  evidences  of 
intellectual  progress,  such  as  twentieth-century  school- 
buildings  fitted  up  with  the  latest  educational  require- 
ments within  sight  of  the  symbols  of  faiths  belonging 
to  a  primeval  past. 

The  Missionary  Society  of  the  Church  in  Canada 
commenced  work  in  Matsumoto  in  1893-4  ;  the  Rev. 
M.  Kakuzen,  ordained  deacon  at  Toronto,  being  the 
first  missionary,  and  the  station  being  superintended 
from  Nagano.  A  year  or  two  later  the  Rev.  F.  W. 
Kennedy  came  to  live  in  Matsumoto  as  priest-in-charge. 
After  five  years'  work  at  Matsumoto  Mr.  Kakuzen  was 
appointed  to  be  priest-in-charge  of  the  Nagano  Church 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    159 

centre  during  Mr.  Waller's  absence  on  furlough.  Later 
he  went  to  live  at  Kobe  to  take  duty  in  the  S.P.G. 
Mission  there,  under  Bishop  Foss. 

For  many  years  evangelistic  work  at  Matsumoto  met 
with  slight  encouragement.  But  the  missionaries  suc- 
ceeded gradually  in  conciliating  public  opinion.  One 
step  taken  in  the  right  direction  was  the  missionary's 
entrance  into  what  was  an  old,  and  formerly  universal, 
organization  of  Japan,  that  of  the  "five  house  "  band. 
According  to  this  ancient  custom,  the  neighbours  on 
either  side  and  the  three  houses  opposite  form  a  league 
for  mutual  help  with  the  new  resident,  and  the  members 
of  each  band  are  responsible  for  each  other  to  the  local 
authorities.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  new  resident  in  a 
street  to  ask  for  the  privilege  of  enrolment,  and  this 
the  missionary  did  not  fail  to  do. 

Bishop  Awdry  reported  in  1899  that  the  progress 
made  at  Matsumoto  was  very  marked.  In  that  year 
the  congregation  had  reached  the  complement  of  twenty 
communicants,  which,  combined  with  the  possession  of  a 
pastor  and  a  building,  entitled  its  claim  to  be  registered 
as  a  "  Church."  The  same  year,  with  the  aid  of  a  sub- 
stantial grant  from  the  missionary  society  of  Trinity 
College,  Toronto,  a  new  preaching-station  was  built, 
which  could  be  used  for  a  church.  Preaching  to  un- 
believers and  social  gatherings  are  carried  on  in  a  large 
room.  This  room  can,  when  desired,  be  made  into  four, 
by  the  sliding  Japanese  screen.  At  the  end  of  the  room  is 
a  raised  recess  of  about  twenty  feet  wide  by  six  deep  ; 
this  forms  the  Sanctuary  and  is  screened  off  excepting 
during  Divine  Service.  The  mission-room  is  built  and 
furnished  in  Japanese  fashion,  with  "  zabuton  "  in  place 
of  benches  or  chairs  ;  the  American  organ  being  the  only 
foreign  piece  of  furniture.  Although  the  mission-room 
has  to  serve  for  social  as  well  as  devotional  purposes, 
whenever  the  screens  are  drawn  back  it  is  noticeable 


i6o  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

how  quiet  and  reverent  the  behaviour  of  all  becomes. 
Anything  that  makes  for  reverence  and  devotional 
behaviour  is  a  gain.  The  congregation  at  Matsumoto 
now  numbers  eighty  baptized  members,  with  fifty 
communicants.  The  classes  for  English,  which  de- 
veloped into  an  English  night-school,  have  been  carried 
on  for  some  years  at  the  two  mission-houses.  Both 
teachers  and  students  of  the  Middle  School  attend  these 
classes,  and  many  attend  the  Bible-classes  in  connexion 
with  them.  The  principal  of  the  school  extends  his 
co-operation,  and  his  own  son  goes  to  both  English 
and  Bible-classes.  His  further  appreciation  of  the 
work  was  shown  by  his  asking  the  missionary  to  assist 
in  English  teaching  at  his  school.  A  young  men's 
Association  has  been  formed  on  the  lines  of  St.  Andrew's 
brotherhood.  This  Association,  of  which  the  members  are 
Christian,  though  the  associates  may  be  non-Christian, 
works  in  conjunction  with  the  Women's  Association, 
which  is  a  branch  of  the  Canadian  "  Women's  Auxiliary." 
These  two  Associations  have  done  much  to  break 
down  the  prejudices  of  the  townspeople  against  the 
foreigners  and  their  faith.  The  latter  Association  was 
started  by  the  Lady  Principal  of  St.  Mary's  Home, 
before  she  was  obliged,  through  ill-health,  to  leave  for 
America  in  1899.  She  came  to  Matsumoto  in  1894. 
The  Home  was  opened  with  four  or  five  girls  in  1898 
and  was  intended  for  the  training  of  Japanese  women  for 
service  in  the  Canadian  Church  Missions.  For  the  five 
years  that  Miss  Paterson  remained  in  Japan  the  Home 
which  she  had  founded  did  good  work.  On  her  de- 
parture ^  a  lady  from  St.  Hilda's  Mission  took  charge 
of  it,  but,  her  health  breaking  down  in  1901,  she  was 
obliged  to  leave  Japan,  and  the  work  had  to  rest  for 

1  Miss  Paterson  has  settled  in  San  Francisco,  where  she  has  taken 
up  work  among  the  large  colony  of  Japanese  residing  in  that 
city. 


G 
^    O 


CANADIAN  CHURCH  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN    i6i 

a  while  in  abeyance.  The  following  year  it  was  re- 
opened as  a  Christian  Home  for  Young  Girls.  It  began 
with  six  pupils,  who  soon  increased  to  nine  ;  it  has  now 
the  full  complement  of  ten  girls.  The  course  is  four 
years.  During  this  time  the  boarders  in  the  Home  go 
to  the  Government  girls'  schools.  A  fee  of  five  yen 
(about  los.)  a  year  is  required,  and  a  further  sum  of  five 
yen  during  the  course.  If  the  girls  stay  for  two  years 
at  St.  Mary's  they  are  expected  to  take  a  further  course, 
after  that  of  the  Government  school,  at  St.  Hilda's 
Divinity  school  in  Tokyo.  The  time  thus  spent  under 
Christian  supervision  should  help  to  enable  the  girls 
to  withstand  the  non- Christian  influences  of  their  future 
lives.  Two  pupils  are  now  taking  the  Divinity  course 
at  St.  Hilda's,  Tokyo,  preparatory  to  becoming  Mission 
helpers.  Another  has  entered  the  embroidery  school 
there.  Two  more  have  been  taking  the  medical  course 
at  St.  Luke's  hospital,  Tsukiji,  connected  with  the 
American  Episcopal  Mission,  one  of  whom  has  already 
received  her  diploma  as  a  fully  certificated  nurse. 
Another  pupil  did  not  complete  her  course  at  the  school, 
but  has  been  married  to  a  Japanese  deacon  in  the  Osaka 
diocese. 

The  Mission  workers  in  the  Sunday  school  and  the 
various  classes  help  to  draw  together  the  women  of  the 
town.  By  their  labours.  Christians  and  non-Christians 
are  becoming  less  separated  in  their  social  relations, 
and  much  good  is  being  done.  They  meet  over  sewing 
and  cooking  classes  and,  during  the  war,  at  the  meet- 
ings of  the  societies  started  for  the  relief  of  the  soldiers 
and  their  families. 


M 


CHAPTER   XIV 

Country  Work  in  Boshu,  etc. 

C.M.S.  Country  Work  in  Boshu  and  at  Yokaichiba  and  Choshi — 
The  Fishing  Village  of  Misaki. 

In  the  country  the  missionary  can  generally  take  a 
straighter  road  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  among  whom 
he  lives  than  is  possible  in  the  town.  In  the  towns 
missionary  work  is  for  the  most  part  indirect ;  schools, 
hostels,  hospitals  usually  cover  the  advance  of  Chris- 
tianity against  the  forces  of  heathenism. 

In  this  and  the  following  chapters  it  is  proposed  to 
describe  the  C.M.S.  evangelistic  work  in  the  country 
districts  near  Tokyo,  and  at  Tokushima,  in  the  Island  of 
Shikoku  ;  the  S.P.G.  work  in  the  Island  of  Awaji,  lying 
in  the  Inland  Sea  between  Shikoku  and  the  mainland  ; 
and  the  country  work  carried  on  by  St.  Andrew's  and 
St.  Hilda's  Missions  in  the  Chibaken,  and  at  Hadano- 
machi,  a  town  which  is  situated  a  few  miles  north  of  the 
Tokaido  and  under  the  shadow  of  Mount  Oyama  ;  also 
a  visit  paid  to  the  town  of  liyama,  an  out-station  of  the 
M.S.C.C.  centre  at  Nagano. 

Two  of  the  C.M.S.  Tokyo  centres,  or  rather  circuits, 
of  itinerary  work,  are  in  the  Chiba  prefecture,  which  in- 
cludes the  peninsula  that  forms  the  eastern  half  of  Tokyo 
Bay.  A  third  centre  is  at  the  fishing  village  of  Misaki 
on  the  southern  point  of  the  western  promontory  of  the 
same  bay.    The  southern  and  most  inaccessible  of  these 

162 


COUNTRY  WORK    IN  BOSHU  163 

circuits  in  the  Chiba  prefecture  lies  among  the  villages 
of  Boshu,  the  southern  province  of  the  three  which 
form  the  modern  '*  ken  "  or  prefecture. 

Itinerating  in  Boshu, — The  visitor  who  lands  at  Ho  jo 
for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  Mission  is  met  by  the 
native  catechist,  a  man  whose  energy  is  such  that  he 
is  known  as  the  man  who  can  out -walk  the  bishop. 
Sunday  services  are  held  weekly  for  the  Christians  in 
this  district,  of  whom  there  are  a  considerable  number . 
Once  a  month  one  of  the  C.M.S.  clergy  from  Tokyo 
visits  Hojo  and  the  neighbourhood  for  the  administration 
of  the  sacraments.  These  monthly  visits,  and  a  visit 
every  three  or  four  months  from  a  lady  missionary, 
are  the  only  intercourse  these  country  Christians  have 
with  their  teachers  and  brethren  in  the  Faith  who  live 
beyond  their  immediate  circle.  Though  they  have 
their  catechists,  who  teach  them  the  rudiments  of  their 
religion,  yet  their  isolation  is  great  and  it  can  well  be 
imagined  that  they  long  for  visits  from  foreign  mis- 
sionaries. 

The  village  of  Nemoto  lies  eight  or  nine  miles  south 
of  Hojo.  A  few  years  ago,  a  student  from  Tokyo  de- 
sired after  his  baptism  to  be  trained  for  missionary 
work,  but  had  been  forced  through  ill-health  to  lay 
aside  his  plans,  and  to  undertake  the  post  of  teacher  in 
the  primary  Government  school  of  this  little  fishing 
village.  There  he  took  his  stand  as  a  Christian,  and, 
in  spite  of  much  opposition,  used  to  gather  the  children 
together  and  tell  them  about  the  Saviour,  and  they  re- 
sponded in  a  wonderful  way  to  his  teaching. 

On  the  occasion  of  our  visit  we  made  an  early  start 
in  jinrickshas  and  took  with  us  a  lantern  and  slides, 
some  large  pictures,  illustrating  texts  or  representative 
scenes  in  our  Lord's  life,  together  with  tracts  and  some 
copies  of  the  Gospels  written  in  colloquial  Japanese. 
The  way  led  for  the  first  few  miles  among  terraced  hills 


i64  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

and  across  rice  fields  which  were  being  harvested  for  the 
second  time.  We  met  by  the  wayside  women  and 
children  threshing  the  rice  stalks  by  pulling  them,  by 
the  hand  in  small  bundles,  through  a  rude  kind  of 
coarse  iron  rake,  fixed  in  a  wooden  vice  a  few  feet  from 
the  ground.  Women  were  to  be  seen  reaping  and 
threshing,  pulling  hand-carts  laden  with  farm  produce, 
or  carrying  heavy  burdens  upon  the  back.  The  men 
are  for  the  most  part  fishermen,  and  were  out  at  sea, 
or  on  the  shore  attending  to  their  boats  and  nets. 

As  we  walked  along  by  the  shore  we  could  see  Fuji 
San  afar  off.  Away  to  the  left  lay  the  volcanic  island 
of  Oshima. 

One  of  the  boys  who  escorted  us  into  the  village  had 
been  baptized  a  short  time  before,  being  the  first  to 
confess  Christianity  in  the  village.  He  had  encountered 
much  ridicule  and  petty  persecution  on  account  of  his 
faith. 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  be  alone  and  undisturbed  in 
a  Japanese  house.  The  Japanese  live  their  lives  in 
cheerful,  constant  companionship  one  with  another. 
The  Nemoto  children,  who  had  been  taught  that  they 
should  pray  to  God  m  secret,  have  chosen  out  a  quiet 
spot  in  a  dried-up,  shallow  river-bed,  which  they  called 
"  Gethsemane,"  and  there  they  go  to  pray.  When 
their  teacher  left  for  Tokyo  lately  they  gathered  round 
him  with  tears,  and  all  prayed  for  him. 

A  visible  change  has  taken  place  in  the  lives  of  some 
of  these  children.  Two  very  poor  children  begged  their 
mothers  to  allow  them  to  save  the  fruit  of  a  persimmon 
tree  in  their  garden,  that  they  might  sell  it  at  the  village 
fair  and  send  the  money  to  help  to  tell  others  the  good 
news. 

Now  that  their  teaclier  has  left  them  for  a  while  they 
meet  every  Sunday  to  read  his  weekly  letter,  and  to 
sing  the  hymns  which  they  have  learnt  together. 


COUNTRY  WORK    IN  BOSHU  165 

During  our  visit  two  meetings,  one  a  Fujinkwai 
(women's  meeting)  and  the  other  a  lantern  meeting, 
were  held  in  the  seldom-used  Buddhist  temple,  hired 
for  the  occasion  !  The  women's  meeting  was  remark- 
able for  its  absence  of  women.  It  was  announced  for 
two  o'clock,  when  two  women  came.  There  came  also 
a  crowd  of  expectant  children  and  a  group  of  politely 
interested  men.  In  the  hope  that  more  women  might 
be  able  to  leave  their  harvest  work  later  on,  the  children's 
meeting  was  held  first,  at  which  a  simple  lesson  was 
given,  which  was  illustrated  by  a  big  picture.  The 
children  listened  quietly  and  attentively,  and  afterwards 
sang  some  hymns,  set  to  their  own  school  tunes.  About 
four  p.m.,  when  the  second  part  of  the  meeting  was  held, 
the  audience  had  increased  to  twelve  men,  a  few  big 
youths,  and  fifty  children. 

In  the  evening  the  temple  was  packed  with  130  to 
150  young  people,  for  a  lantern  meeting.  It  was  taken 
by  the  catechist,  who  comes  over  occasionally  to  hold 
a  service  at  the  neighbouring  lighthouse,  where  there 
are  several  Christians.  All  were  attentive  and  reverent, 
as  they  saw  the  pictures  and  heard  of  the  life  of  our 
Saviour  and  of  some  of  His  miracles  and  wonderful 
sayings. 

Among  the  slides  were  a  few  illustrating  scenes  in 
England.  It  seemed  strange  to  look  at  pictures  of 
London  streets  and  English  scenes  shown  on  a  sheet 
hung  up  inside  a  Buddhist  temple,  stranger  still  to  hear 
the  children  sing  Christian  hymns  so  heartily,  whilst 
close  to  us,  behind  closed  doors,  was  the  sacred  shrine  of 
the  temple.  The  scene  in  that  old  village  sanctuary 
was  typical  of  the  sentiments  of  the  modern  Japanese. 
Possessing  but  little  faith  in  their  old  gods,  they  listened 
with  interest  to  the  foreigner's  teaching  concerning  his 
own  religion,  but  with  no  realization  that  it  was  in- 
compatible with  their  former  faith. 


i66  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Since  the  occasion  of  our  visit,  the  villagers'  com- 
placency towards  the  foreigners  has  aroused  the  Budd- 
hist priests  out  of  their  lethargy,  and  has  stirred  them 
up  to  counteract  the  evil  effects  of  their  visit.  Though 
for  years  they  had  not  troubled  themselves  about  this 
village,  they  have  recently  come  over  from  a  neigh- 
bouring hamlet  and  have  held  rival  preachings  and 
conducted  a  lantern  meeting  of  their  own. 

At  Onuki,  which  was  the  next  place  visited,  there  is 
a  resident  catechist,  and  the  Christians  of  the  district 
meet  together  at  his  house,  which  is  their  own  Church 
property,  on  Sundays  for  a  service  and  Bible  reading. 
The  clergy  also  from  Tokyo  come  on  monthly  visits  to 
celebrate  the  Holy  Communion. 

Dr.  Hada,  one  of  the  earliest  Christian  converts  in 
Tokyo,  is  now  living  at  Onuki  for  his  health. 

There  is  another  village  called  Nago  at  the  other  end 
of  the  bay  to  Hojo,  where  meetings  are  held  at  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Okamoto,  a  Japanese  Bible-woman.  Sunday 
services  are  also  held  at  the  catechist's  house. 

Yokaichiba,  and  at  Choshi. — These  towns  in  the 
northern  province  of  the  Chiba  prefecture  are  the 
principal  centres  for  the  itinerary  work  of  the  C.M.S. 
missionaries  in  this  district.  The  missionary  circuit 
round  by  Sakura,  Sawara,  Choshi,  and  Yokaichiba,  is 
an  easier  one  than  that  in  Boshu. 

In  addition  to  monthly  visits  paid  by  the  C.M.S. 
clergy  from  Tokyo,  the  lady  missionary  in  charge  of  the 
country  work  goes  every  few  weeks  to  help  the  catechist 
by  personal  talk,  Bible  instruction  and  lantern  meetings. 
It  was  upon  one  of  these  rounds  that  we  went  early  in 
December. 

Choshi  is  a  large  rambling  town  of  40,000  inhabitants, 
and  is  chiefly  noted  for  its  Japanese  sauce.  It  has  the 
privilege  of  manufacturing  the  supplies  for  the  Im- 
perial household.    The  town  extends  for  two  miles  along 


COUNTRY  WORK  IN  BOSHU  167 

the  right  bank  of  the  river  Tonegawa,  which  here  flows 
between  sharp  rocks  into  the  sea.  The  chief  occupa- 
tion of  its  inhabitants,  apart  from  the  manufacture  of 
sauce,  is  fishing.  A  fish  resembhng  a  pilchard,  but 
smaller,  is  caught  here  and  all  along  the  coast.  The 
manufacturing  and  fishing  quarters  of  the  town  are 
divided  by  a  hill  crowned  with  a  temple  which  is  dedi- 
cated to  Kwannon,  the  goddess  of  mercy.  It  has  some 
old  and  good  woodwork  carving.  The  view  from  the 
hill  overlooking  the  older  fishing-villages,  across  the 
river  to  the  distant  ocean,  and  inland  over  rice-fields 
and  low  hills,  is  very  fine.  The  rough  fisher- boys  and 
school-children  who  crowded  round  seemed  more 
boisterous  and  aggressive  than  boys  and  girls  in  Japan 
usually  are. 

The  people  at  Choshi,  especially  the  fisherfolk,  are 
difficult  to  reach,  but  nevertheless  the  work  is  promising  ; 
in  one  year,  1901,  twenty-seven  adults  received  baptism. 
There  is  no  other  Church,  or  Mission,  except  the  C.M.S. 
working  in  the  district.  A  preaching-place  in  a  good 
situation  was  secured  in  1900,  and  the  catechist  is  an 
energetic  man. 

At  Cape  Inuboe,  about  2 J  miles  from  Choshi,  is  a 
well-known  lighthouse  situated  on  the  first  point  of 
Japan  which  is  seen  by  steamers  coming  from  Van- 
couver. From  this  lighthouse  is  telegraphed  the  news 
of  the  steamer's  arrival.  This  lighthouse  has  special 
interest  attached  to  it  from  the  missionary  point  of 
view.  To  quote  from  a  report  in  the  South  Tokyo 
diocesan  magazine,  for  December,  1901  : — "  There  are 
generally  four  or  five  men  stationed  there,  and  these 
change  rather  frequently,  except  the  head  men.  Those 
who  have  become  Christians  endeavour  to  lead  any  new 
men  who  come,  and  God  has  blessed  their  work  and 
testimony,  so  that  in  a  little  over  a  year  nine  men  have 
been    converted   there.  .  .  .  The   head   man   is   most 


i68  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

earnest  in  his  efforts  to  preach  Christ.  Numbers  of 
visitors  come  to  see  the  hghthouse  during  the  summer 
months,  and  are  taken  up  the  Hghthouse  in  batches  of 
eight,  the  others  waiting  till  the  first  party  has  come 
down.  He  utilizes  the  opportunity  often  by  speaking 
to  those  waiting  about  the  Gospel.  The  men  who  have 
become  Christians  and  have  been  transferred  elsewhere 
are  all  doing  well.  Three  of  them  are  in  or  near  Tokyo 
.  .  .  one  has  gone  to  the  other  side  of  Japan." 

Before  leaving  Choshi  we  visited  this  lighthouse,  that 
had  become  by  one  man's  earnestness  and  faith  a  veri- 
table "  preaching-station  "  of  the  Church.  The  cape  on 
which  the  lighthouse  is  situated  is  well  worth  a  visit  on 
account  of  its  magnificent  view  ;  it  stands  high  up  on 
the  narrow  point  jutting  out  into  the  Pacific,  facing  the 
ocean  on  three  sides. 

The  lighthouse  is  of  the  latest  type  and  has  a  revolving 
flash-light  of  high  power.  The  visitor  cannot  but  notice 
the  spotless  cleanliness  and  brightness  of  every  bit  of 
glass  and  brass  work.  After  due  inspection  and  en- 
joyment of  the  view,  we  went  into  the  head  man's  house, 
which  like  all  official  buildings  was  built  in  foreign 
fashion,  to  have  tea  and  cakes,  and  to  be  introduced  to 
the  latest  new-comer  among  his  four  assistants.  All 
were  Christians  except  one  man,  and  he  was  already  an 
inquirer. 

In  the  bare  little  office-room  were  four  or  five  men, 
with  two  of  their  wives,  a  grandmother,  and  three  or 
four  little  children,  who  kept  running  in  and  out  of  an 
inner  passage.  The  men  and  women  sat  round  their 
plain  wooden  table,  sharing  with  each  other  Bibles  and 
hymn  books,  asking  questions  or  listening  to  the  answers 
of  the  missionary  upon  the  meaning  of  some  verse,  and, 
after  a  few  simple  prayers,  singing  together  some  of  our 
Christian  hymns.  It  was  interesting  to  reflect  upon  the 
contrast  between  familiarity  with  the  results  of  Western 


COUNTRY  WORK  IN  BOSHU  169 

material  science — the  signalling  flags  were  in  pigeon 
holes  ranged  against  the  wall,  and  their  uses  were  proudly 
pointed  out  to  us — and  the  ignorance  on  the  part  of  the 
Japanese  of  the  religion  and  thoughts  that  have  been 
the  education  of  the  West.  The  joy  in  talking  over  their 
new-found  happy  faith  with  fellow  Christians  was  at 
once  striking  and  delightful. 

We  went  to  Yokaichiba  next  day,  but  little  ol 
the  Christian  work  that  is  being  carried  on  there  was 
to  be  seen.  In  the  evening  a  women's  class  was  held 
in  the  church  or  preaching-place,  attended  by  the 
cd-echist  and  ten  or  a  dozen  women  with  their  little 
children.  A  short  talk  upon  a  portion  of  Scripture 
was  given,  a  few  hymns  and  prayer  followed,  and  the 
little  meeting  broke  up.  The  results  of  a  meeting  like 
this  are  not  easy  to  test.  Some  of  these  women  were 
Christians,  some  inquirers,  some  merely  friends,  but  all 
had  probably  been  attracted  to  Christianity  by  some 
evangelistic  effort  or  preaching  previously  held  in  the 
town.  By  such  meetings  and  quiet  talks,  and  through 
personal  visits  to  their  homes,  one  and  another  are 
brought  into  touch  with  Christian  friends,  and  become 
known  to  the  missionary.  It  has  been  by  such  efforts 
that  the  Church's  congregation  in  Yokaichiba  has 
grown  within  a  few  years'  time  to  a  Church  membership 
of  over  a  hundred  and  fifty. 

Yokaichiba  is  a  town  of  about  8,000  inhabitants, 
and  is  the  government  and  police  centre  for  the  dis- 
trict. The  following  account  relating  to  a  special 
missionary  effort  was  published  in  the  C.M.S.  Japan 
Quarterly  for  October,  1903.  The  tent  where  the 
meetings  were  held  was  large  enough  for  200  people, 
and  its  white  roof  and  towering  poles  with  their  flags 
proved  a  notable  attraction.  The  meetings  had  been 
well  advertised  beforehand  in  the  newspapers  and  by 
circular  letters  sent  to  every  house  in  the  town.    The 


170  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Mission  lasted  for  ten  days,  and  the  results  showed  that 
many  who  have  since  professed  Christianity  were  first 
aroused  to  interest  and  self- questioning  by  the  preach- 
ing or  by  the  tracts  and  portions  of  Scripture  then 
procured  and  read. 

"  Every  afternoon  we  have  had  women's  meetings, 
though  they  hardly  conform  to  one's  idea  of  an  ordinary 
meeting,  being  often  very  informal.  We  go  down  a 
little  before  two  o'clock,  and  always  find  groups  of  in- 
quirers scattered  about  the  tent  listening  to  the  catechist. 
One  corner  is  reserved  for  us,  and  presently  one  or  two 
women  are  induced  to  come  in  and  we  begin  to  talk  to 
them.  By  degrees  a  small  crowd  assembles  outside, 
of  men,  women  and  children.  We  get  as  many  of  the 
women  to  come  up  on  to  the  boards  as  we  can  ;  but  most 
of  them  are  country-folk,  who  have  come  to  town  for 
shopping.  As  the  rain  comes  down  in  torrents  most 
days,  they  are  often  too  dirty  after  their  walk  over  the 
muddy  roads  to  come  up  on  to  u  clean  matting,  and  so 
sit  on  the  edge,  while  we  talk  as  best  we  can  to  an 
accompaniment  of  men's  voices,  crying  babies,  and  noisy 
children.  These  country  people  seem  more  responsive 
than  the  town  people,  making  remarks  and  asking 
questions  constantly.  After  listening  for  an  hour  or  so, 
most  of  them  begin  to  drop  off,  explaining  that  they  have 
come  from  a  place  three,  four  or  five  miles  away,  and  must 
get  back  before  dark,  also  saying  that  what  they  have 
heard  is  indeed  good  news.  Tracts  are  given  to  these, 
and  others  generally  take  their  place,  and  so  we  go  until 
3.30,  when  the  children,  who  have  been  playing  round 
and  making  a  noise  ever  since  we  came,  are  let  in. 
Their  meeting  begins  with  hymns,  sung  heartily  if  not 
always  melodiously.  Some  of  them  go  to  Sunday  school, 
but  a  good  many  do  not." 

At  Yokaichiba  the  Sunday  school  children  attend 
regularly  and  answer  brightly,  and  one  feature  of  the 


COUNTRY  WORK  IN  BOSHU  171 

Church  at  Yokaichiba  is  that  nearly  all  are  work- 
ers. 

A  Visit  to  the  Fishing  Village  of  Misaki. — Misaki  can  be 
reached  from  Tokyo  by  rail  or  steamer  to  Yokosuka,  and 
thence  by  a  fourteen-mile  ride  in  a  rickshaw  over  the  sands 
and  the  cultivated  uplands,  that  command  a  fine  view 
of  Fuji,  the  Hakone  and  Oyama  ranges,  and  the  oppo- 
site shores  of  Tokyo  Bay.  Murray's  Guide  Book  says  : 
"  The  little  line  to  Yokosuka  passes  through  characteris- 
tically Japanese  scenery,  wooded  hills  rising  abruptly 
from  valleys  laid  out  in  rice-fields,  with  here  and  there 
a  cottage  or  a  tiny  shrine  half-hidden  in  a  rustic  bower." 
Yokosuka  is  famous  as  being  the  principal  Government 
dockyard,  but  a  few  years  ago  it  was  a  poor  village.  It 
has  a  claim  on  English  interest,  as  it  was  here  that  Will 
Adams,  the  first  Englishman  to  land  upon  the  shores  of 
Japan,  lived  and  died.  He  was  an  English  pilot  to  a 
Dutch  fleet,  and  was  brought  in  1600  as  a  prisoner 
to  leyasu.  He  won  his  favour,  and  was  by  him  em- 
ployed as  a  shipbuilder,  and  as  a  kind  of  diplomatic 
agent  when  English  and  Dutch  traders  began  to  arrive. 
For  twenty  years  he  lived  at  Hemi,  now  a  suburb  of 
Yokosuka,  and  the  site  of  the  railway-station,  and  there 
he  and  his  Japanese  wife  were  buried.  His  shipbuilding 
at  Yokosuka  has  developed  into  shipyards  which  com- 
pete with  those  of  Newcastle  and  Chatham. 

The  fourteen-mile  drive  from  Yokosuka  to  Misaki 
carries  the  visitor  from  the  surroundings  of  modern 
Japan  to  those  of  its  village  life  as  it  has  been  from 
time  immemorial. 

Yet  Misaki,  primitive  fishing  viUage  as  it  is,  is  in 
touch  with  the  scientific  world  through  its  marine 
biological  laboratory,  which  is  connected  with  the 
Science  College  of  the  Imperial  University  of  Tokyo. 
In  it  are  displayed  the  rich  marine  fauna  of  the  httle 
bay,  which  have  been  obtained  by  dredging. 


172  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

At  Misaki  the  Church  Missionary  Society  has  had  a 
resident  catechist  for  some  years,  but  Christian  work 
makes  as  yet  slow  progress.  The  occupation  of  the 
fishermen  keeps  them  at  sea  for  months  at  a  time,  and 
makes  it  hard  to  reach  them  on  shore. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Some  Country  Stations  of  the  S.P.G.  Mission  in 
THE  South  Tokyo  Diocese 

S.P.G.  and  C. M.S.  Missions  in  the  islands  of  Awajiand  Skikoku. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  country  stations  founded 
by  the  S.P.G.  from  Tokyo  : — 

In  the  Shizuoka  prefecture,  where  work  was  begun 
in  1889,  Shizuoka,  Numazu,  Mishima,  Oyama,  and 
Hamamatsu  are  separate  stations,  the  two  former 
possessing  churches  and  resident  priests,  the  others 
being  worked  by  catechists  only.  The  work  in  this 
populous  district  has  been  greatly  hampered  from  its 
commencement  by  insufficiency  of  missionary  workers. 

At  Numazu  and  at  Shizuoka  the  local  congregations 
have  been  large  enough  to  justify  grants  of  £100  for 
each  station  from  the  Marriott  bequest,  whereby  St. 
Peter's  and  St.  John's  churches  have  been  built ; 
St.  Peter's,  Shizuoka,  was  consecrated  in  February, 
1901,  and  St.  John's,  Numazu,  in  April  of  the  same 
year.  At  Numazu  the  congregation  contributed  to- 
wards the  cost  of  the  church  furniture.  Here  the  Rev. 
M.  H.  Satake  has  been  in  charge  for  some  years. 
Numazu,  until  recently,  had  a  larger  congregation  than 
Shizuoka.  In  1904  the  figures  for  the  numbers  of 
Christians  were  respectively,  Numazu  38,  and  Shizuoka 

39- 

In  the  Kanagawa  prefecture  there    are  the  country 

towns  of  Hadano  and  Odawara,  having  S.P.G.  Mission 

173 


174  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

stations.  Odawara  is  on  the  coast,  just  beyond  the 
point  where  the  Tokaido  raihvay  turns  inland  to  avoid  the 
Hakone  mountains  ;  Hadano  is  situated  high  up  among 
the  mountains  of  the  Oyama  and  Tanzawa  range,  and 
behind  and  above  them  is  seen  the  pure  white  cone  of 
Mount  Fuji.  Hadano  is  a  prosperous  httle  town,  its 
principal  product  being  tobacco,  although  both  rice 
and  silk-worms  are  largely  grown  and  bred.  The  people 
pride  themselves  on  growing  the  best  tobacco  in  Japan, 
and  their  flourishing  and  self-contained  community- 
life  presents  many  features  which  are  elsewhere  now 
fast  passing  away,  but  are  still  to  be  found  in  some  of 
the  country  districts  of  Japan. 

Its  people  are  well-to-do,  and  are  independent  for 
the  most  part  of  the  world  outside.  Their  families  have 
inter-married  for  generations  ;  they  look  up  to  one  or 
two  leading  men  of  their  community,  whose  families 
have  been  foremost  among  them  for  many  years. 

Fortunately  for  the  Church's  Mission  to  Hadano,  the 
father  of  the  principal  tobacco  merchant  became  a 
Christian  when  the  work  was  begun  in  the  earher  days 
by  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Wright.  This  man  and  his  son  and 
daughter-in-law  have  exercised  their  influence  in  spread- 
ing the  Faith,  and  thus  a  congregation  has  been  formed. 
Hadano  is  now  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  stations 
of  the  S.P.G.  Missions  outside  Tokyo.  In  1895  a  small 
wooden  church  was  built,  partly  by  the  congregation's 
contributions.  Bishop  Awdry  speaks  of  the  "  bright 
and  loyal  spirit  ,  .  .  and  disposition  to  do  things  for 
themselves,  yet  not  without  looking  for  counsel  from 
the  Church  authorities,"  which  animates  the  Hadano 
congregation.  At  one  time  there  was  a  sluggishness  in 
bringing  in  others  to  share  in  their  privileges,  but  now. 
Bishop  Awdry  says,  "  the  men  who  first  came  into  the 
fold  .  .  .  are  eagerly  bringing  in  their  wives  and  wel- 
coming the  poor."     He  attributes  this  better  state  of 


COUNTRY  STATIONS  OF  THE  S.P.G.       175 

things  partly  to  the  energizing  zeal  of  Miss  Ballard's 
work  amongst  them  since  her  return  from  fmlough  in 
1903.  The  Church  was  for  many  years  in  charge  of  the 
Rev.  L.  B.  Cholmondeley,  of  St.  Andrew's  Mission. 
This  Mission,  with  that  of  St.  Hilda's,  helps  at  present 
to  carry  on  the  evangelistic  work  of  the  S.P.G.  in  Tokyo 
and  its  country  districts. 

In  the  Chiba  prefecture  the  centres  are  Shimo- 
Fukuda,  Odaki,  Mobara,  and  Chiba,  which  is  the  capital 
of  the  prefecture  and  a  town  of  30,000  people.  For 
many  years  the  Society  has  had  work  in  this  prefecture. 
The  C.M.S.  has  done  much  evangehstic  work  in  many 
of  the  towns  and  villages  of  Chiba,  but  the  S.P.G.  has 
suffered  from  lack  of  workers  in  Tokyo  to  carry  on  the 
good  work  founded  in  years  past  by  Archdeacon  Shaw 
and  others.  The  catechists  in  the  three  or  four  Mis- 
sion centres,  unsupported  from  outside,  have  done 
little  to  extend  the  work,  and  have  hardly  kept  the 
congregations  together.  Yet  this  is  a  promising  field, 
and  requires  only  sustained  missionary  effort  to  show 
abundant  fruit.  It  is  now  in  charge  of  the  Rev.  Abel 
Eijiro  lida,  one  of  the  senior  Japanese  clergy  in  the 
diocese.  Monthly  visits,  and  at  times  visits  of  some 
weeks'  duration,  are  now  paid  regularly  by  Miss  Ballard. 
Work  among  the  women  and  children  is  therefore  being 
carried  on  more  systematically  ;  the  Christians  are  kept 
more  in  touch  with  their  brethren  in  Tokyo,  and  are 
left  less  isolated.  There  has  been  also  an  increase  of 
baptized  and  confirmed  members  in  the  little  congrega- 
tions. 

Odaki  is  a  country  town,  not  unhke  Hadano,  but 
it  does  not  depend  on  its  industries  but  on  its  status  as 
the  capital  of  a  district.  It  once  had  a  castle,  and  the 
farmers,  who  now  make  up  the  larger  part  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Odaki  and  its  neighbourhood,  were  then 
the  feudal  retainers  of  its  former  daimyo.     From  these 


176  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

soldier-farmers  were  drawn  the  small  Christian  congre- 
gations of  the  place.  At  Mobara  also  there  are  two  or 
three  Christian  families  ;  what  is  sadly  needed  at  both 
places  are  earnest  catechists.  The  work  of  the  catechists 
employed  has  so  far  been  wanting  in  sustained  endeavour. 
The  church  at  Shimo-Fukuda  is  of  many  years' 
standing  and  has  an  interesting  history.  The  work 
was  begun  there  by  the  visits  of  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Wright, 
in  1881.  Two  farmers  then  became  Christians,  but  for 
some  time  after  little  outside  help  came  to  them.  How- 
ever, these  two  faithful  Christians  persuaded  others  to 
read  the  Bible,  and,  as  a  result,  in  1884  more  than  thirty 
of  their  fellow- townsmen  wrote  to  Tokyo  requesting 
baptism.  Thereupon  the  Rev.  Arthur  Lloyd  and  Mr. 
lida  (then  a  catechist)  visited  Shimo-Fukuda,  and  after 
due  instruction  baptism  was  given  to  these  converts  in 
a  body.  They  were  men  of  influence  in  the  place,  and 
further  converts  began  to  come  in.  In  1890  a  church 
was  built,  and  Mr.  lida  was  placed  in  charge  as  deacon. 
Mr.  Moore,  in  his  book  entitled  The  Christian  Faith  in 
Japan,  describes  the  congregation  as  simple  and  rough, 
and  adds :  '*  There  is  not  a  villager  who  has  not  been  inside 
the  church  for  a  service  for  preaching  ;  the  Buddhist 
temple  has  fallen  into  decay ;  and  the  proposal  to  found 
a  Christian  school,  to  save  the  young  men  from  having  to 
face  the  temptations  of  the  capital  in  pursuit  of  educa- 
tion, only  failed  from  lack  of  means."  He  goes  on  to 
relate  a  beautiful  dream  that  one  of  the  congregation,  an 
aged  Christian,  had  during  a  serious  illness.  In  a 
vision  he  saw  the  courts  of  heaven  radiant  with  the 
light  of  the  presence  of  God,  and^made  beautiful  by 
flowers.  He  recovered  from  his  sickness,  and  in  grati- 
tude for  restored  health,  and  in  memory  of  his  dream, 
he  has  since,  all  the  year  through,  except  during  Lent, 
provided  flowers  each  Sunday  for  the  adornment  of 
God's  House. 


COUNTRY  STATIONS  OF  THE  S.P.G.       177 

The  congregation  numbers  now  about  130  ;  monthly 
communions  are  celebrated  by  the  Rev.  A.  E.  lida. 
There  is  also  a  Sunday-school  and  a  women's  meeting. 
The  latter  is  better  attended  in  the  winter  time,  as 
during  the  summer  months  women  and  girls  are  busy 
helping  the  farmers  in  the  field. 

At  Chiba  the  small  church  is  a  modified  Japanese 
house.  Its  matted  floor,  its  sliding  doors  on  two  sides, 
its  plain  benches  for  seats,  together  with  the  altar  of 
carved  wood,  give  this  little  church  a  pleasing  appear- 
ance. 

At  Chiba  the  congregation  is  small  and  the  Mission 
in  this  large  town  is  only  in  its  early  days.  It  is  true 
that  Church  work  has  been  carried  on  for  years,  some- 
times by  C.M.S.  evangehstic  preachings,  and  sometimes 
by  the  S.P.G.  catechist  or  itinerating  missionary  from 
Tokyo.  But  until  two  or  three  years  ago  no  regular 
Mission  was  estabhshed  in  the  place  ;  now  there  is  a 
resident  catechist  and  Mr.  lida  spends  part  of  every 
month  there.  There  are  both  government,  middle  and 
normal  schools  at  Chiba.  It  is  the  centre  of  the  indus- 
tries of  the  prefecture,  and  the  market -town  for  its 
farmers.  It  has  also  barracks  and  a  large  medical 
school.  The  population  is  increasing  in  numbers  and  in 
prosperity. 

The  work  in  this  portion  of  the  Chiba  Ken  belongs 
properly  to  the  S.P.G.,  as  they  began  it,  and  from  time 
to  time  have  carried  on  work  there  ;  but  until  that  Society 
can  be  strengthened  in  Tokyo  it  cannot  fulfil  its  evan- 
gelistic duties  here.  For  the  present,  St.  Hilda's  Mis- 
sion does  all  it  can,  with  its  other  pressing  duties,  to  keep 
alive  the  evangelizing  spirit  throughout  the  district. 

One  of  the  earliest  and  most  important  of  the  Kobe 
branch  Missions  is  at  Awaji,  an  island  at  the  entrance  of 
the  Inland  Sea.  It  is  inhabited  by  fishermen,  whose 
occupation  renders  them  difficult  to  reach.     Bishop  Foss, 

N 


178  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

as  soon  as  he  had  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  language, 
visited  every  town  and  hamlet  upon  it,  but  at  first  with 
no  definite  result.  His  first  visit,  in  1878,  was  followed 
up  by  that  of  a  catechist.  Four  baptisms  were  re- 
ported in  1884,  and  in  1886  there  were  Christians  in 
three  towns  in  the  island,  and  a  public  Christian  funeral 
had  been  held — a  thing  before  impossible.^ 

Up  to  this  date  and  for  long  afterwards  the  S.P.G. 
was  the  only  Christian  agency  at  work  in  the  island. 
The  island  itself  is  small  in  comparison  with  Shokoku, 
which  is  close  at  hand  and  appears  almost  as  the 
mainland.  Awaji  is  some  20  to  30  miles  from  end 
to  end,  and  perhaps  15  miles  across  at  its  broadest 
point.  In  outline  its  shape  is  somewhat  that  of'a  pear. 
According  to  Japanese  tradition  Awaji  was  the  first 
part  of  the  earth  created.  In  opening  anew  church  in 
1890  at  Sumoto,  its  principal  town,  Bishop  (then  the 
Rev.  H.  J.)  Foss  named  it  the  Church  of  the  True 
Light.  To-day  Awaji  has  its  Christian  communities 
in  nearly  every  village  and  hamlet.  They  grow  steadily 
in  numbers  and  in  extent,  but  the  progress  would  be 
more  rapid  if  a  missionary  could  be  spared  from  Kobe  to 
live  upon  the  island  and  pay  weekly  instead  of  monthly 
visits  to  the  catechists  and  their  scattered  flocks. 

At  Sumoto  +here  is  a  girls'  school  housed  in  the  beauti- 
ful old  residence  of  one  of  Awaji's  former  feudal  lords. 
It  is  not  a  Christian  school,  but  the  principal  is  a  Chris- 
tian, and  an  earnest  member  of  the  Sumoto  Church 
congregation. 

1  This  rite  was  accompanied  by  disturbance  at  one  time  in 
country  districts,  where  there  prevailed  a  misconception  as  to 
the  Christians'  treatment  of  their  dead.  Christian  burial- 
grounds  in  the  country  are  hard  to  acquire.  In  the  case  of  the 
heathen,  the  dead  (generally  their  cremated  remains)  are  buried 
in  the  temple  grounds,  the  grave  being  cared  for  by  the  sur- 
viving relatives.  At  Tokushima  the  Cliristians  have  possession 
of  a  corner  of  a  hill-side,  and  there  already  rest  in  peace  twelve 
of  the  little  congregation. 


COUNTRY  STATIONS  OF  THE  S.P.G.       179 

The  catechist  at  Sumoto  is  the  lay  pastor  of  the 
"  Church  of  the  True  Light."  He  is  assisted  in  his 
work  by  a  Bible  woman,  and  together  they  carry  on  a 
regular  Sunday-school  and  women's  meeting.  The 
little  congregation  numbers  from  forty-six  to  fifty  men, 
women  and  children,  of  whom  nearly  half  are  com- 
municants. Kariya  and  Yura,  small  towns  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  the  islands,  and  north  and  south  of 
Sumoto,  are  out-stations  of  this  Mission  ;  in  each  there 
are  scattered  units  of  the  Church,  and  to  them  monthly 
visits  are  paid  by  Mr.  Kakuzen  and  the  catechist. 

Tanaka,  the  southern  Mission  centre  on  the  island, 
and  the  next  village  to  Fukura,  where  the  visitor  stays 
the  night  before  crossing  by  steamer  to  Tokushima,  is  a 
smaller  station,  with  from  twenty  to  thirty  Church 
members.  Of  these  about  half  are  communicants. 
There  is  a  little  Sunday-school  for  the  twelve  Christian 
children  and  such  non-Christians  as^'can  be  persuaded  to 
come. 

Bible  and  prayer  meetings  are  held  weekly,  also  a 
Church  service  and  preaching  for  unbelievers  on  a 
Sunday;  but  less  work  is  carried  on  here  among  the 
women  than  at  Sumoto,  as  there  is  no  Bible-woman. 
At  Fukura  there  are  five  Christians,  all  men,  and  at 
Kusaka,  another  out-station  of  Tanaka,  three  or  four 
more  isolated  Christians,  all  four  being  communicants. 
Mr.  Kakuzen  visits  these  outlying  stations  once  a  month. 
At  Fukura  one  man  who  was  recently  confirmed  is  totally 
blind  ;  he  and  another  were  the  only  two  communicants 
there  a  year  ago.  One  of  the  four  at  Kusaka  is  the 
first  convert  made  in  that  quarter  of  the  island  by  Mr. 
Foss,  whom  he  heard  preaching  in  a  temple  twenty-six 
years  ago. 

The  room  that  has  to  serve  as  a  church  at  Tanaka 
is  very  small. 

From  Fukura  in  Awaji  a  small  steamer  runs  to  Muza, 


i8o  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

at  the  extreme  north-east  of  the  Island  of  Shikoku. 
Near  to  this  port  is  the  famous  whirlpool  of  the  Naruto 
Channel,  which  separates  the  two  islands  of  Shikoku 
and  Awaji,  and  connects  the  Inland  Sea  with  the  Pacific 
Ocean. 

The  track  of  the  steamboat  is  at  a  safe  distance  east- 
ward of  this  dangerous  passage. 

In  the  fishing-village  on  the  islet  of  Tokushima  there 
are  a  very  few  Christians,  chiefly  members  of  one  house- 
hold. 

Tokushima  is  three  or  four  hours'  distant  from  Muza. 
The  journey  is  through  a  pleasant  country,  with  rice  and 
corn-fields  and  pine-clad  hills  in  the  near  distance. 
Tokushima,  formerly  the  seat  of  a  daimyo,  is  now  the 
capital  of  the  Tokushima  prefecture.  It  is  an  important 
place,  with  a  population  (in  1897)  of  60,000,  but  for  some 
years  it  had  to  be  worked  as  an  out-station  from  Osaka. 
It  can  be  reached  by  steamer  from  Osaka,  in  favourable 
circumstances,  in  six  or  seven  hours,  but  the  passing 
can  be  unpleasantly  rough  owing  to  the  cross-currents 
of  the  Kii  Channel.  The  town  stands  on  one  of  the 
four  streams  of  the  delta  of  the  Yoshino  river,  two  of 
which  form  the  *'  Island  of  Virtue  "  (Tokushima),  from 
which  the  town  takes  its  name.  Behind  the  town  are 
the  mountains,  and  on  a  sohtary  hill  near  its  western 
suburb  are  the  ruins  of  the  once  fortified  stronghold 
of  its  feudal  lord.  **  Castle  hill  "  is  well  wooded,  and 
is  now  a  public  park  ;  and  from  its  summit  may  be  seen 
the  town  and  its  suburbs,  and  numerous  villages,  form- 
ing together  a  grand  field  for  missionary  work. 

Tokushima  became  a  Church  Mission  station  in  con- 
sequence of  a  visit  from  the  Rev.  H.  Evington  (now 
Bishop),  who  spent  a  few  days  there  in  1880  for  change 
and  rest. 

He  was  visited  by  some  members  of  the  Greek  Church, 
and  early  in  the  following  year   one  of  these   came  to 


COUNTRY    STATIONS     OF     THE    S.P.G.     i8i 

Osaka  and  in  the  name  of  several  others  requested  further 
Christian  instruction.  It  was  determined  to  send  a 
native  catechist,  as  Mr.  Evington  was  then  leaving  for 
England ;  a  house  was  secured  in  Tokushima  and  work 
there  was  commenced. 

At  first  there  was  determined  opposition  to  Christian 
teaching,  chiefly  stirred  up  by  the  Buddhist  priesthood 
and  their  followers.  But  by  1883  the  outlook  became 
more  encouraging.  The  Christians  were  themselves 
earnest,  regular  in  attending  Christian  worship,  and 
showed  amongst  themselves  love  and  unanimity.  The 
preaching  services  were  largely  attended,  and  inquirers 
came  forward.  The  following  year  the  late  Archdeacon 
Warren  began  his  regular  visits  to  Tokushima,  the 
practical  oversight  of  the  out-stations  from  Osaka  having 
devolved  upon  him.  Four  adults  and  three  children 
were  baptized  that  year,  and  during  the  next,  1885, 
Bishop  Poole  visited  this  new  station,  and  held  a  con- 
firmation. A  Church  committee  had  been  formed 
among  the  Christians  at  Tokushima ;  but  the  three 
succeeding  years,  1885-8,  were  disturbed  by  internal 
trials. 

In  1888  the  C.M.S.  Committee  resolved  to  make 
Tokushima  a  separate  station,  and  appointed  the  Rev. 
W.  P.  Buncombe,  who  had  recently  arrived  from  Eng- 
land, to  be  its  first  resident  European  missionary.  He 
began  by  arranging  a  week's  preaching  in  the  theatre. 
This  effort  gave  a  great  impetus  to  the  work.  Many 
fresh  converts  were  baptized,  and  before  long  funds 
were  raised  for  the  erection  of  a  church.  As  the  little 
Church  congregation  grew  in  numbers  and  strength, 
opposition  to  its  teaching  became  keener.  At  one  time 
violence  was  shown  :  the  missionary's  house  was  stormed 
and  the  native  Christians  molested.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  Christians  showed  in  their  lives  spiritual 
growth ;  four  new  preaching-places  were  opened  in  the 


i82  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

city,  and  several  converts  were  baptized,  one  of  them 
being  a  Buddhist  priest. 

In  1891  the  Tokushima  Mission  staff  was  reinforced 
by  the  arrival  of  several  additional  missionaries.  It 
was  further  helped  by  the  appointment  of  a  native 
Bible-woman,  who,  as  a  Christian  of  ripe  experience  in 
evangelistic  work  at  Kumamoto  and  at  Osaka,  did 
much  to  aid  the  growing  work  at  Tokushima.  By 
1893  the  foundation-stone  of  a  new  church  had  been 
laid.  In  the  succeeding  April  it  was  dedicated  by 
Bishop  Bickersteth.  During  1902-4,  however,  owing 
to  the  pressing  needs  of  other  centres,  no  resident  Euro- 
pean clergyman  could  be  stationed  at  Tokushima. 

Tokushima  is  the  centre  of  several  Mission  stations, 
which  are  scattered  about  the  plain  in  the  lower  reaches 
of  the  Yoshino  river,  and  among  the  fishing  villages  of 
the  north-east  coasts  of  Shikoku.  From  the  city  three 
main  roads  branch  out,  and  along  each  of  them  work  is 
being  done.  To  the  north  there  is  Muza,  with  its 
smaller  out-stations  of  Tokushima,  Do-no-ura,  and 
Kitadomari ;  to  the  north-west  there  are  the  centres  of 
Kawashima  and  Wakimachi,  from  which  work  is  carried 
on  among  smaller  villages  lying  on  either  side  of  the 
river  Yoshino  ;  to  the  south  the  catechist  stationed  at 
Tomioka  has  charge  of  work  at  Honjo  and  at  outlying 
villages.  In  Tokushima  and  its  neighbourhood  there 
has  been  an  advance  from  129  converts  in  1896  to  205 
for  1903,  without  counting  the  catechumens  coming 
forward  for  instruction.  From  all  over  Japan  comes 
the  appeal  for  more  workers.  Every  section  of  society 
is  awakening,  through  the  needs  of  the  present  national 
crisis,  to  the  necessity  of  rehgion  as  distinct  from  ethics. 

Before  closing  this  section  some  mention  may  be 
made  of  the  speical  nature  of  the  work  among  the  women 
and  children  carried  on  by  the  ladies  of  this  Mission. 
One  effect  of    the   late  war    has   been    to   make    the 


COUNTRY     STATIONS     OF     THE  S.P.G.     183 

people  more  seriously  disposed  towards  religion.  Prac- 
tical help  and  sympathy  have  also  done  much  to  draw 
the  people  closer  to  their  missionary  friends.  Oppo- 
sition is  now  more  often  confined  to  homes  and  rela- 
tives. Belief  in  Fox-possession  is  still  held  in  the 
country  districts  of  Japan,  and  the  Tokushima  district 
is  one  where  this  belief  still  holds  sway  among  the 
women.  This  superstition  is  one  of  the  difficulties 
against  which  the  missionaries  are  contending.  Super- 
stitious terrors  die  slowly.  A  weak  intellect  and  a  low 
state  of  health  may  account  for  this  nervous  disorder  or 
delusion  of  the  mind  of  those  possessed,  but  the  belief 
that  an  evil  spirit,  the  "  fox-spirit,"  possesses  and  rules 
the  mind  and  bodies  of  some  is  still  very  common.  The 
greatest  hope  that  this  belief  may  soon  die  out  lies 
in  Christian  teaching  for  the  children. 

The  children's  meetings  at  Tokushima,  both  in  the 
town  and  country  districts,  are  especially  good.  In 
two  separate  parts  of  the  town  from  80  to  100  children 
are  ready  to  pour  in  each  week  as  soon  as  ever  the  doors 
are  opened,  and  in  five  or  six  other  places  there  are  good 
meetings.  Only  a  small  proportion  are  Christian 
children,  but  progress  is  being  made,  in  spite  of  home 
discouragement ;  and  the  boy  or  girl  Christian  is  usually 
the  best  evangelist  in  any  household. 

A  Christian  Service  at  liyama,  in  Shinshu. — liyama 
is  one  of  the  two  principal  out-stations  attached  to  the 
Nagano  centre  of  the  "  Missionary  Society  of  the  Church 
of  England  in  Canada  "  (M.S.C.C).  Work  was  begun 
here  in  1896  by  Mr.  Waller  and  his  staff,  and  already 
liyama  has  a  Christian  congregation  of  its  own  and 
forms  a  centre  for  further  effort.  Monthly  visits  are 
paid  to  this  little  band  of  Christians,  both  for  the 
administration  of  the  Holy  Communion  and  for  evan- 
gelistic preaching  in  the  district. 

Though  it  is  only  about  twenty-one  miles  away,  as  the 


l84  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

crow  flies,  the  journey  from  Nagano  occupies  a  consider- 
able time.  The  train  goes  to  a  place  a  few  miles  from 
Nagano,  thence  rickshaws  are  available  for  an  hour's 
journey  over  rough  country  roads.  After  that,  by  the 
more  leisurely  and  peaceful  sampan,  the  traveller 
floats  down  the  broad  river  Shinano-gawa  to  liyama. 
The  sampan  is  a  flat-bottomed  boat  propelled  by  means 
of  long  heavy  sweeps  which  men  ply  astern  and  at  the 
bow,  standing  to  their  work  somewhat  after  the  manner 
of  gondoliers.  The  boats  are  simple  structures  in  which, 
if  it  be  wet,  the  traveller  is  glad  to  crouch  or  lie  on  the 
matted  flooring  of  the  covered-in  portion,  which  ex- 
tends nearly  from  end  to  end,  in  company  with  men 
smoking,  wet  umbrellas  and  the  inevitable  brazier 
and  its  kettle. 

liyama,  as  other  towns  such  as  Inariyama,  also  in 
the  Nagano  district,  has  had  its  days  of  bustling  trade 
and  activity  cut  short  by  the  advent  of  the  railway  in 
the  vicinity.  Before  then  these  towns  had  prospered 
exceedingly,  being  on  the  route  of  the  packhorse  traffic, 
by  which  goods  were  distributed  throughout  the 
country  ;  now,  like  so  many  of  our  old-fashioned  market- 
towns  at  home,  their  trade  seems  to  have  diminished 
through  the  very  means  that  were  intended  to  extend 
it. 

However,  liyama  is  still  a  fairly  prosperous  country 
town,  and  its  people  moderately  wefl-to-do.  At  the 
roomy  country  inn  have  been  held  from  time  to  time 
large  Christian  meetings,  its  former  owner  having  been 
a  Christian.  At  an  evening  meeting  in  the  Mission- 
house  quite  120  people  will  crowd  in,  and  stand  round 
the  open  doors  or  sliding  paper  windows.  Some  earnest 
Christians  come  in  from  distances  of  two  to  eight  miles 
to  take  advantage  of  the  monthly  visit  from  their  clergy. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Work  amongst  Police  and  Factory  Workers 

Christian  Work  amongst  the  PoUce  and  Telegraph  Clerks  at 
Tokyo  and  Kumamoto — Work  among  Factory  Girls  at 
Osaka. 

The  Japanese  police  force  was  largely  recruited  from 
the  Samurai  class,  and  is  a  liighly  trained  and  efficient 
body  of  men.  In  the  larger  towns  the  Government 
provides  schools  and  classes  for  the  teaching  of  English 
and  for  other  studies  of  use  to  them  in  their  duties.  In 
Japan  all  religions  are  equally  tolerated.  As  Christian 
teaching  in  Japan  has  tended  to  make  men  more  trust- 
worthy, the  .  Government  in  several  departments  has 
encouraged  the  educational  work  of  the  missionaries. 

In  view  of  the  good  effect  of  a  school  for  the  police 
in  Osaka,  which  was  begun  by  a  lady  missionary  under 
the  C.M.S.,  the  police  authorities  in  Tokyo  requested 
five  years  ago  to  start  a  similar  school  in  Tokyo,  and 
paid  the  expenses  of  the  journey  to  the  capital  for 
herself  and  her  Japanese  assistant. 

The  authorities  specially  asked  that  a  teacher  of 
English  should  be  employed  in  the  Tokyo  school,  and 
suggested  that  a  Bible  lesson  should  be  given  to  the  men. 
The  selection  of  the  teacher  was  left  by  them  to  Bishop 
Awdry.  It  was  decided  that  this  work  should  be 
undertaken  by  a  lady  who  w^as  formerly  a  missionary 
of  the  Universities'  Mission  to  Central  Africa. 

For  the  first  year  or  so  Mr.  Imai  also  assisted  in  teach- 


i86  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

ing  English,  the  Scripture  teaching  for  the  most  part 
until  recently  being  given  by  a  Christian  Japanese 
teacher,  in  Japanese. 

The  school  numbered  at  its  commencement  in  1899 
from  forty  to  fifty  men  ;  since  then  they  have  more  than 
doubled.  At  the  first  Christmas  six  policemen  received 
Holy  Baptism,  and  during  the  five  years  since  the  be- 
ginning of  the  school,  forty  members  of  the  police  class 
have  been  baptized. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  six  men  coming  forward 
as  catechumens.  The  work  has  thus  made  steady  pro- 
gress. Some  pupils  of  the  earlier  days  have  presented 
themselves  for  baptism,  and  of  these  some  are  already 
confirmed. 

Within  the  latter  part  of  the  spring  of  1904  the 
lady  missionary  was  asked  to  start  similar  work 
at  the  Shitaya  police-station.  The  chief  of  the  police 
there  specially  asked  to  have  Bible  lessons  given,  and 
offered  to  pay  the  travelling  expenses  out  of  his  own 
pocket,  so  anxious  was  he  for  his  men  to  derive  the  same 
benefit  he  had  enjoyed  as  one  of  her  former  pupils. 

Two  ex-policemen  are  now  pupils  of  the  theological 
school,  Azabu,  Tokyo,  which  is  under  the  charge  of  the 
Rev.  J.  Imai. 

Two  other  Christian  policemen  served  as  soldiers 
during  the  war.  One  of  them  was  baptized  by  his 
special  request  at  Hiroshima  on  his  way  to  the  front. 
He  had  been  the  head  of  his  (police)  class,  and  joined 
the  1st  Regiment  of  the  Imperial  Infantry,  under 
General  Kuroki — a  regiment  which  won  special  mention 
for  valour  at  the  crossing  of  the  Yalu.  The  other  is  acting 
as  English  interpreter  to  a  war- correspondent  at  the 
front.  Yet  another  Christian  policeman  was  chosen 
interpreter  to  the  war- correspondent  of  the  Daily  Tele- 
graph. 

Since  the  commencement  of  the  Tokyo  police  school 


POLICEMEN'S  BIBLE  CLASS 
Shitaya  Station  1905 
By  kind  pennssion  of  G.  Palmer. 


AMONGST  POLICE  AND  FACTORY  WORKERS  187 

there  have  been  sixty  in  attendance,  and  these,  when 
hving  within  a  reasonable  distance  of  the  school,  are 
supposed  to  come  once  a  week  to  keep  up  their  know- 
ledge of  English.  Moreover,  examinations  are  held 
twice  a  year  to  prevent  the  men  giving  up  their  studies, 
and  the  scale  of  extra  pay  is  regulated  accordingly. 

Though  the  school  was  closed  for  a  short  period  when 
war  was  first  declared,  notices  were  soon  sent  round  to 
the  twenty-four  police  stations  to  select  fifty  new 
pupils,  in  addition  to  the  already  large  number  of 
students.  To  this  increased  number  of  pupils  the 
largest  available  room  in  the  Metropolitan  Police 
Station  is  assigned  in  which  to  hold  the  classes. 

The  ''International  Christian  Police  Association  "  has 
its  headquarters  in  Japan  at  Kumamoto.  The  associa- 
tion has  a  large  membership,  all  over  the  country,  and 
is  aided  by  its  periodical,  which  has  a  monthly  circula- 
tion of  1,400  copies.  Through  its  agency  the  members 
are  encouraged  to  study  the  Christian  Scriptures,  and 
notes  for  their  guidance  are  a  feature  of  the  magazine. 
Its  issue  has  been  attended  by  encouraging  results  in 
Japan,  Formosa,  and  Korea. 

At  Kumamoto  there  is  an  institute  for  the  police  of 
the  city.  It  owns  a  good  house,  with  rooms  suitable 
for  meetings  and  recreation.  'Here  there  is  a  monthly 
lecture,  preceded  by  a  prayer-meeting,  for  the  Christian 
members,  and  there  is  an  attendance  of  from  fifty  to 
seventy-five  members.  Classes  are  also  held  every 
week  in  the  institute  for  educational  and  rehgious  in- 
struction, at  which  the  pastor  of  the  "  Sei  Kokwai " 
Church  assists.  The  classes  are  well  attended  and 
receive  encouragement  from  the  officials  at  headquarters. 

The  policemen  greatly  appreciate  the  possession  of 
their  institute,  and  there  are  usually  to  be  found  some 
members  chatting  or  reading  together  during  their 
leisure  hours. 


i88  CHURCH  WORK    IN    JAPAN 

The  "  Christian  Postal  and  Telegraph  Association  " 
was  started  a  year  ago.  The  rules  define  its  object  as 
**  the  promulgation  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
among  the  workers  in  postal  and  telegraph  and  tele- 
phone offices,  and  among  their  families  ;  to  promote 
the  spiritual,  social  and  physical  welfare  of  the  mem- 
bers, and  to  encourage  them  to  make  their  homes  bright, 
pure  and  happy." 

The  report  of  the  first  year's  work  (1903)  says  that 
the  association  has  grown  rapidly  and  has  over  600 
members,  many  of  whom  have  become  earnest  seekers 
after  the  Truth,  and  that  already  eight  of  them -have 
received  baptism.  Out  of  the  4,000  scattered  post- 
offices  throughout  the  country  members  have  been 
recruited  in  107  offices  during  the  past  year.  Within 
the  last  two  years  women  have  begun  to  be  employed 
in  the  post  and  telephone  offices,  and  a  w^omen's  branch 
has  recently  been  started,  which  numbers  already  thirty 
members.  In  any  town  where  the  branch  has  members, 
and  missionary  work  is  going  on,  the  missionaries  in 
charge  are  advised  of  their  names,  and  they  do  all  in  their 
power  to  help  on  the  members  of  the  association. 

Evangelistic  Work  among  the  Factory  Girls. — ^There  are 
twenty  cotton  factories  in  Osaka  and  its  suburbs,  nearly 
all  of  them  being  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city.  In  the 
smallest  sixty,  and  in  one  of  the  largest  2,200  of  the 
women  and  girls  employed  live  within  the  factory  walls. 
Besides  these,  many  live  outside  at  their  own  homes 
or  in  lodging-houses,  and  go  daily  to  work.  Both  within 
the  factory  buildings  and  companies'  lodging  houses, 
the  conditions  of  life  are  often  unhealthy  and  unsatis- 
factory. The  evils  arise  from  the  excessively  long  hours 
of  work,  the  over-crowding,  and,  where  the  officials  are 
careless  or  incompetent,  the  neglect  of  ordinary  sanitary 
precautions. 

Neither  government  nor  public  opinion    has  as   yet 


AMONGST  POLICE  AND  FACTORY  WORKERS  189 

awakened  to  the  necessity  of  special  legislation  for  the 
benefit  of  these  women. 

Factory  work  in  Osaka  and  elsewhere  is  carried  on 
by  night  and  day  shifts.  There  are  few  factories  where 
there  is  no  night  work,  the  rule  being  that  a  factory  hand 
works  all  day,  and  in  alternate  weeks  all  night.  Every 
eight  or  ten  days,  when  the  shifts  of  work  change,  there 
is  a  short  period  during  which  the  machinery  must  be 
cleaned  and  made  ready  for  the  next  gang  of  workers. 
At  such  time  there  is  some  scant  leisure,  but  there 
are  no  weekly  holidays.  Beyond  the  five  annual 
national  holidays  in  the  whole  year  there  is  no  variation 
from  the  monotony  and  toil  of  the  weekly,  or  ten  days 
shifts  of  day  and  night  work.  The  war  caused  a  con- 
siderable decrease  in  business,  and  several  factories  ran 
half  time ;  but  this  caused  for  many  loss  of  employ- 
ment and  for  others  extra  hard  work  with  longer 
hours. 

Special  evils  arise  for  those  who  have  to  live  within 
the  factory  walls,  or  crowded  together  in  the  neighbour- 
ing lodging-houses.  In  some  houses  men  and  women, 
boys  and  girls  all  live  together.  The  houses  are  com- 
paratively small,  and  the  night  workers  sleep  in  the  day- 
time in  the  rooms  occupied  at  night  by  those  working 
during  the  day.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  rooms  are 
dirty  and  that  the  health  of  the  hands  suffers.  They 
work  for  twelve  hours  at  a  time,  and  alternate  weeks  at 
night.  After  the  working-hours  are  over  they  go  to 
the  bath,  have  supper,  and  then  go  to  sleep.  Next 
morning  they  get  up  before  daylight.  They  work,  eat, 
bathe  and  sleep  in  a  crowd.  Their  faces  are  pale  and 
their  eyes  weak,  and  they  seem  to  be  always  tired. 

Most  of  the  workers  in  these  large  factories  are  girls 
brought  up  from  the  country  districts  on  a  three  years' 
contract.  The  agents  employed  to  engage  and  fetch 
the  girls  receive  a  commission  on  each  girl  who  is  per- 


192  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

younger  sisters  of  the  club  members.  Some  of  these 
children  are  those  of  the  factory  officials. 

Mention  may  be  made  here  of  a  lodging-house  for 
boys  attached  to  one  factory  to  which  admission  has 
been  gained  of  late.  About  eighty  boys  live  there 
from  thirteen  to  twenty  years  of  age  ;  they  work  like 
the  girls,  in  relays  by  night  and  day,  so  that  forty 
at  a  time  can  come  to  the  lantern  meeting,  which  is  held 
two  or  three  times  a  month.  This  is  a  better  type  of 
lodging-house,  because  there  is  more  supervision,  as 
it  is  situated  within  the  factory  walls.  The  man  in 
charge  gives  opportunities  to  the  visiting  missionary. 
His  daughter  attends  the  Mission  girls'  school,  and 
perhaps  influences  him  to  welcome  Christian  aid  to 
keep  in  order,  to  interest  and  teach,  what  he  calls  his 
large  little  family. 

The  missionaries  in  these  factories  have  been  doing 
pioneer  work  and  claiming  fresh  territory  for  Christian 
teaching  and  influence.  Prejudices  have  begim  to  be 
broken  down  ;  factory  officials  have  become  awakened 
to  the  fact  that  some  one  cares  for  the  factory  hands  ; 
the  public  is  finding  out  slowly  that  there  exists  a  large 
class  in  its  industrial  centres  who  are  utterly  uneducated, 
living  under  most  unsanitary  conditions,  and  needing 
legislation  to  protect  them.  The  Factory  Mission  needs 
more  workers  and  more  funds. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

On  the  Japanese  Prayer-Book  as  compared  with 
THE  English  and  American  Prayer-Books 

The  comparison  in  this  chapter  of  the  Revised  Japanese 
Prayer-Book  (first  pubhshed  1879-82)  issued  in  Revised 
form  in  1895,  with  the  Enghsh  and  American  Prayer- 
Books,  has  been  taken  from  the  papers,  by  the  Rev. 
A.  F.  King,  M.A.,  pubhshed  in  the  South  Tokyo  diocesan 
magazine,  1889-1900  : — 

The  Lectionary  is  framed  on  the  basis  of  the  Enghsh 
and  American  Prayer-Books.  As  in  the  Enghsh  Book, 
there  are  no  proper  lessons  for  the  forty  days  of  Lent, 
but  the  American  Book  is  followed  with  regard  to  the 
special  optional  lessons  for  the  Rogation  and  Ember  Days. 
Except  where  they  are  found  in  the  English  Lectionary 
also,  there  are  no  proper  second  lessons  appointed  for 
Sundays  ;  save  that  for  Advent  and  Lent,  the  Sunday 
second  lessons  of  the  American  Lectionary  are  set  down 
for  optional  use.  The  Sunday  first  lessons  foUow  the 
plan  of  the  English  rather  than  that  of  the  American 
Lectionary. 

For  the  daily  lessons  the  general  plan  of  the  English 
and  American  Books  is  followed,  but  the  Apocrypha 
finds  no  place  in  the  Lectionary.  Proper  second  lessons 
are  appointed  uniformly  for  all  Holy  Days  other  than 
Sundays.  Occasionally  a  proper  lesson  is  introduced 
which  is  not  found  in  either  the  English  or  American 

193  o 


194  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

Book,  e.g.  St.  Thomas'  Day  second  morning  lesson, 
St.  John  xi.  1-16  ;  but  generally  either  the  American 
or  English  Book  provides  a  precedent.  The  Trans- 
figuration has  no  Collect,  Epistle  and  Gospel  appointed 
for  it,  but  there  are  proper  lessons  ;  those  for  the  morn- 
ing follow  the  American  Book  and  those  for  the  evening 
are  Dan.  x.  i-ii  and  St.  Luke  ix.  28-36. 

The  list  of  proper  Psalms  for  certain  days  follows  that 
found  in  the  American  Book,  but  the  days  for  which 
none  are  provided  in  the  English  Book  are  marked  with 
an  asterisk,  and  the  use  of  proper  Psalms  on  those  days 
is  optional.  A  table  of  fifteen  selections  of  Psalms,  after 
the  manner  of  that  found  in  the  American  Book,  is  given, 
with  permission  to  use  any  one  of  them  instead  of  the 
ordinary  Psalms  of  the  day. 

Tables  and  Rides  relating  to  Feasts  and  Fasts. — These 
follow  the  English  Prayer-Book,  with  the  one  exception 
that  the  Transfiguration  finds  a  place  among  the  feasts. 
As  in  the  American,  there  are  no  black-letter  days  in 
the  Japanese  Calendar.. 

Rules  for  the  Shortening  of  Services. — These  are  put 
together  in  the  Appendix  to  the  Prayer-Book.  They 
are  as  follows  : — 

"  I.  Morning  Prayer,  Litany,  and  Holy  Communion 
may  be  used  separately  or  together. 

"2.  When  the  Holy  Communion  immediately  follows 
Morning  Prayer,  the  priest  may  begin  with  the  Lord's 
Prayer  ;  omit  everything  between  the  Te  Deum  and  the 
Salutation  ('  The  Lord  be  with  you  ')  ;  and  after  the 
Collect  for  grace  pass  on  at  once  to  the  Holy  Communion. 
(N.B. — This  makes  the  first  lesson  obhgatory.) 

"3.  Morning  and  Evening  Prayer  may  be  shortened 
as  follows,  but  this  rule  does  not  apply  to  Morning 
Prayer  on  Sundays  : — (a)  The  opening  exhortation  may 
be  shortened  to  '  Dearly  beloved  brethren,  I  pray  and 
beseech  you,"  etc.  ;  (b)  one  lesson  and  one  canticle  only 


ON  THE  JAPANESE  PRAYER-BOOK   195 

need  be  used  ;  (c)  the  prayers  between  the  third  Collect 
and  the  Prayer  of  St.  Chrysostom  may  be  omitted. 

"  4.  Only  one  Psalm  need  be  said. 

"5.  When  Holy  Communion  follows  another  office, 
the  Lord's  Prayer  may  be  omitted  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Holy  Communion  Ofhce,  if  it  has  already  been  said. 

"  6.  The  Ten  Commandments  must  be  read  once  a 
month  on  some  Sunday.  Otherwise  they  may  be 
omitted  at  discretion,  and  our  Lord's  words  (as  in  the 
American  Book)  alone  used. 

"  7.  Holy  Baptism  may  be  used  as  a  separate  service. 
When  used  with  Morning  Prayer,  the  latter  may  be 
shortened  according  to  Rule  3." 

Morning  Prayer  is  arranged  as  in  the  American  Book. 
The  Gloria  Patri  need  not  be  said  at  the  end  of  each 
Psalm,  but  at  the  end  of  the  whole  portion  used  at  the 
particular  service. 

The  concluding  verse  of  the  Benedicite  is  omitted. 
After  the  Creed  the  Lesser  Litany  and  Lord's  Prayer 
are  omitted,  but  the  Versicles  are  printed  in  full,  both 
in  Morning  and  Evening  Prayer,  as  in  the  English  Book. 
The  rubric  before  the  Versicles  directing  the  priest  to 
stand  is  omitted. 

But  as  in  the  Enghsh  Book,  there  is  no  alternative 
form  of  Absolution,  taken  from  the  Holy  Communion 
Ofhce,  allowed.  The  declaratory  form  alone  is  found 
here.  The  Venite  is  printed  in  full,  but  with  permission 
to  omit  verses  8-1 1  ;  and  the  Benedictus  is  to  be  sung 
in  full.  The  Apostles'  Creed  alone  is  printed,  and  there 
is  no  permission  to  use  the  Nicene  Creed  instead  of  it. 

The  Athanasian  Creed  is  not  mentioned  in  the  rubric 
before  the  Apostles'  Creed,  but  is  printed  near  the  end 
of  the  Prayer-Book.  The  rubric  preceding  it  there  is  to 
the  effect  that  it  should  be  said  or  sung  on  certain 
days  instead  of  the  Apostles'  Creed,  those  days  being 
the  same  as  in  the  English  rubric ;  but  the  whole  con- 


196  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

eludes  with  the  clause,  "  But  the  Minister  is  at  hberty  to 
use  it  or  not  at  his  discretion." 

It  is  rarely  used  in  any  of  the  Churches  of  the  Nippon 
Sei  Kokwai. 

The  Emperor  and  the  Imperial  Family  are  prayed  for 
in  collects  based  upon  the  corresponding  prayers  of  the 
English  Book.  The  Japanese  Book  has  also  among  the 
Versicles  the  petition,  "  O  Lord,  save  our  Emperor,"  in 
place  of  the  Enghsh,  "  O  Lord,  save  the  King,"  and  the 
American,  "  O  Lord,  save  the  State." 

The  prayer  for  "  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  " 
and  the  General  Thanksgiving  are  printed,  as  in  the 
American  Book,  in  their  proper  place  in  Morning  and 
Evening  Prayer  ;  the  latter  also  in  the  Litany,  but  with 
a  rubric  added  (alone  in  the  Japanese  Book)  making 
its  use  there  optional. 

Evening  Prayer. — ^The  chief  pomts  of  interest  not 
before  mentioned  are  (i)  that  there  are  (as  in  the  Ameri- 
can Book)  two  alternative  Psalms  allowed  in  place  of 
the  Magnificat  (Ps.  xcviii  and  xcii,  v.  1-4),  and  two 
in  place  of  Nunc  Dimittis  (Ps.  Ixvii.  and  ciii.  v.  1-4 
and  20-22)  ;  and  (2)  that  the  rubric  after  the  third 
Collect  allows  the  Litany  to  be  used  as  at  ^lorning 
Prayer. 

The  Litany. — The  initial  rubric  is  simply,  "  To  be  used 
on  Sundays,  Wednesdays  and  Fridays."  Chiefly  to  be 
noted  are  (i)  that  the  words  *'  From  lightning  and  tem- 
pest "  are  followed  by  "  From  flood,  earthquake  and 
fire  "  ;  (2)  that  petitions  are  made  for  the  Emperor, 
the  Imperial  family,  the  ministers  of  state  and  governors, 
for  bishops,  priests  and  deacons  ;  also,  as  in  the  American 
Book,  "  That  it  may  please  Thee  to  send  forth  labourers 
into  Thy  harvest  "  ;  (3)  that  the  Litany  can  be  shortened 
by  a  rubric,  similar  to  one  in  the  American  Book,  allowing 
the  omission  of  the  whole  section  from  "  O  Christ,  hear 
us  "  down  to  "  As  we  do  put  our  trust  in  Thee." 


ON  THE  JAPANESE  PRAYER-BOOK       197 

Occasional  Prayers  and  Thanksgivings. — The  Japanese 
Prayer-Book  has  a  number  of  prayers  and  thanksgivings 
for  use  "  upon  several  occasions."  With  adaptations 
to  suit  the  circumstances,  it  omits  none  of  the  prayers 
from  either  the  American  or  Enghsh  Books,  and  it  in- 
cludes others  for  a  person  travelling — a  free  translation 
of  one  by  Dr.  Bright — for  Missions,  and  for  catechumens. 
The  former  of  the  two  for  Missions  is  derived  from 
various  sources,  and  is  specially  framed  to  include  a 
petition  for  the  salvation  of  God's  ancient  people  to- 
gether with  the  Gentiles.  The  latter  is  based  upon 
Bishop  Cotton's  prayer  for  the  conversion  of  the  peoples 
of  India. 

The  prayers  for  catechumens  are  based  upon  ancient 
prayers  in  St.  Chrysostom's  and  the  Clementius  Litur- 
gies. The  occasional  thanksgivings  are  the  same  as  in 
the  American  Book,  except  that  the  one  for  a  child's  re- 
covery is  omitted,  an  alternative,  "  For  Deliverance  from 
great  Sickness  "  being  added  from  the  English  Book. 
All  the  occasional  thanksgivings  of  the  English  Book 
are  included. 

The  Collects^  Epistles  and  Gospels. — These  follow  the 
English  Book,  except  (i)  in  regard  to  two  or  three  minor 
points  of  detail  in  the  order  of  printing,  rubrical  direction, 
or  name  ;  (2)  that  the  Epistles  and  Gospels  are  not  yet 
printed  in  extenso,  though  this  is  to  be  done  when  the 
translation  has  been  revised ;  (3)  that  under  "  Ash 
Wednesday  "  are  printed  the  three  final  prayers  of  the 
Commination,  ''  O  Lord,  we  beseech  Thee,  mercifully 
hear  our  prayers,"  etc.,  "  O  most  mighty  God  and 
merciful  Father,"  etc.,  **  Turn  Thou  us,  O  good  Lord," 
etc.,  with  a  rubric  directing  that,  if  the  whole  Com- 
mination service  be  not  said,  these  three  prayers  shall 
be  said  before  the  General  Thanksgiving  in  the  Litany. 

Holy  Communion. — ^The  chief  points  of  interest  to  be 
noted  are  : — 


igS  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

(i)  Four  rubrics  are  prefixed,  as  in  the  English 
Book.  The  fourth  runs,  "  The  table  at  the  Communion 
time  shall  have  a  fair  white  linen  cloth  upon  it.  The 
minister,  standing  at  the  north  of  the  holy  table,  shall 
say  the  prayers  following,  the  people  all  kneeling." 
The  rubric  thus  does  not  prevent  the  eastward  position, 
which  is  taken  by  many  of  the  clergy. 

(2)  Following  the  American  Book,  the  Japanese  Book 
has,  in  place  of  the  collects  for  the  King,  the  collect, 
"  O  Almighty  Lord  .  .  .  direct,  sanctify,  and  govern," 
etc.,  which  in  the  English  Book  is  printed  among  the 
occasional  prayers  at  the  end  of  the  Holy  Communion 
Office. 

(3)  The  omission  of  the  Nicene  Creed,  or  the  substi- 
tution of  the  Apostles'  Creed  for  it,  is  not  allowed  •  the 
Japanese  Book  therein  following  the  Enghsh  in  prefer- 
ence to  the  American  Book. 

(4)  In  the  Offertory  Sentences,  which  follow  the  Eng- 
lish Book,  the  two  from  Tobit  are  cut  out. 

(5)  The  priest  may  at  his  discretion  use  before  the 
prayer  for  the  Church,  the  prayers  for  Missions  and  the 
prayp'-^^  for  catechumens,  saying  "  Let  us  pray  for  Mis- 
sions," or  '*  Let  us  pray  for  catechumens."  The  bidding 
words  before  the  prayer  for  the  Church  are  as  follows  : 
"  Let  us  pray  for  all  men,  and  specially  for  the  whole 
Church  of  Christ."  In  this  prayer  the  sentence  be- 
tween "  godly  love  "  and  "  give  grace  "  is  to  this  effect  : 
"  We  beseech  Thee  to  bless  all  who  bear  rule,  and 
especially  our  Emperor  ;  and  to  direct  all  that  are  in 
authority  under  him,  that  they  may  impartially  punish 
vice  and  honour  virtue,  and  be  a  defence  to  Thy  true 
religion." 

(6)  The  Exhortations  :  (a)  The  Exhortation  "  at  the 
time  of  the  celebration  of  the  communion  "  is  to  be  said 
at  least  on  one  Sunday  of  each  month,  (b)  The  Exhor- 
tation, **  when  the  minister  giveth  warning,"  printed 


ox  THE  JAPANESE  PRAYER-BOOK    199 

at  the  end  of  the  service,  is  directed  to  be  said  in  whole, 
or  in  part,  on  the  previous  Sunday  or  Holy-day,  and,  as 
in  the  American  Book,  omits  the  mention  of  absolution, 
occurring  in  the  last  sentence  of  the  English  form,  (c) 
The  third  Exhortation  against  negligence  is  omitted 
altogether. 

(7)  From  the  American  Book  is  taken  the  alternative 
proper  preface  for  Trinity  Sunday.  The  Sanctus  is 
printed  as  in  the  English  Book. 

(8)  Two  alternative  forms  of  the  Prayer  of  Consecra- 
tion are  given  ;  the  first  is  a  translation  of  the  English 
Prayer  of  Consecration,  the  second  of  the  American. 
The  rubric  leaves  it  quite  open  which  shall  be  used,  and 
they  are  equally  used  throughout  the  Church. 

(9)  After  the  Lord's  Prayer  follow,  as  in  the  EngUsh 
Book,  the  prayers  of  Oblation  and  Thanksgiving,  with 
permission  to  use  either  if  the  first  (English)  form  of  the 
Prayer  of  Consecration  has  been  used  ;  but  the  latter 
only  must  be  said  when  the  second  (American)  form  of 
that  prayer  has  been  used. 

(10)  No  permission  is  given  to  use  some  proper  hymn 
"  in  place  of  the  Gloria  in  excelsis,"  as  in  the  American 
Book. 

(11)  After  the  Blessing  and  the  Exhortation  (of 
"  warning  ")  follow  the  five  occasional  Collects,  as  in  the 
American  Book  ;  the  additional  one  in  the  English  Book 
finding  a  place  after  the  Commandments,  as  stated  above. 

(12)  The  whole  concludes  with  one  rubric,  viz.,  that 
directing  the  reverent  consumption  in  the  Church  of 
what  remains  of  the  consecrated  bread  and  wine  ;  the 
wording  of  this  rubric  follows  the  American  Book. 

The  Offices  for  Holy  Baptism. — The  following  points 
call  for  notice  : — 

(i)  In  the  baptismal  formula  the  translators  have 
set  themselves  to  convey  the  exact  force  of  the  Greek 
original,  and  have  consequently  used  a  circumlocution  in 


200  CHURCH    WORK    IX    JAPAN 

their  phrasing  of  it.  The  Japanese  translation  may 
be  rendered  into  EngHsh  thus  :  "  N.,  I,  administering 
baptism,  admit  thee  into  the  Name,"  etc. 

(2)  In  the  formula  for  hypothetical  baptism  an  un- 
satisfactor}^  translation  is  made  of  the  English,  "  If  thou 
art  not  already  baptized,"  etc.,  for  by  its  wording  it 
practicall}'  re-baptizes  in  cases  where  baptism  has  pre- 
viously been  received,  though  the  evidence  of  it  is  lost. 

(3)  The  two  notes  at  the  end  of  the  public  baptism 
of  infants  in  the  English  Book — upon  infants  dying 
baptized,  and  upon  the  use  of  the  sign  of  the  Cross — are 
omitted  ;  also  the  permission  of  the  American  Book, 
in  all  three  offices,  to  omit  the  use  of  the  sign  of  the  Cross, 
together  with  the  words  "  We  receive  this  child  (person)," 
etc.,  in  case  of  scruple,  is  not  given  in  the  Japanese 
Book. 

As  illustrating  the  nature  of  the  Japanese  language, 
Mr.  King  notices  in  passing  that  not  a  single  word  need 
be  changed  in  the  whole  service  (of  public  baptism)  for 
either  number  or  gender. 

Catechism. — The  three  Books  are  here  practically  the 
same,  the  only  differences  distinguishing  the  Japanese 
Book  from  the  others  being  (i)  the  addition  of  the 
doxology  to  the  Lord's  Prayer  ;  (2)  that  in  the  answer 
about  the  inward  part  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  the  Japanese 
combines  the  English  ''  verily  and  indeed  "  with  the 
American  "  spiritually." 

Confirmation. — The  Japanese  Book  omits  the  Preface, 
but  gives  the  substance  of  it  in  an  introductory  rubric. 
The  service  in  Japanese  begins  with  the  American  form 
of  presentation  of  the  candidates,  "  Reverend  Father  in 
God,  I  present  unto  j'ou  these  children  (or,  these  per- 
sons) to  receive  the  laying  on  of  hands  "  ;  and  then,  as 
in  the  American  Book,  a  lesson  follows  (Acts  viii.  5-17). 
There  is  also  some  difference  in  the  concluding  rubrics 
not  calling  for  notice. 


ox  THE  JAPANESE  PRAYER-BOOK    201 

Solemnization  of  Matrimony. — The  chief  pomt  to  be 
noticed  in  comparison  of  the  Japanese  Book  with  the 
other  two  Prayer-Books  is  that  the  latter  part  of  the 
Enghsh  Office,  i.e.  the  Psalms,  Prayers,  second  Bene- 
diction, and  Exhortation,  which  is  entirely  omitted  in 
the  American  Book,  is  made  optional  in  the  Japanese 
Service. 

It  is  also  interesting  to  notice  that  the  Japanese  Book 
allows  a  marriage  to  be  solemnized  without  a  ring, 
in  which  case  the  words  referring  to  the  ring  are  of 
course  directed  to  be  omitted. 

Passing  over  rubrics  as  to  the  publication  of  the  Banns, 
w'e  come  to  the  third,  in  which  no  permission  is  given,  as 
in  the  American  Book,  for  matrimony  to  be  solemnized 
"  in  some  proper  place  "  instead  of  at  church. 

In  the  Japanese  Book  the  introductory  Exhortation 
is  printed  in  full,  as  in  the  English,  but  permission  is 
given  to  omit,  not  only  the  parts  omitted  in  the  Ameri- 
can Book,  but  also  the  words  "  Signifying  unto  us  .  .  . 
Cana  of  Galilee." 

The  Lord's  Prayer,  placed  in  the  iVmerican  Office  just 
before  the  prayer,  "  O  Eternal  God,"  is  by  a  Japanese 
rubric  directed  to  be  used  in  this  place  if  the  latter  part 
of  the  service  is  going  to  be  omitted. 

Visitation  of  the  Sick. — The  Japanese  Office,  like  the 
English  Book,  contains  a  form  of  absolution,  not  the 
same  as  the  English,  but  the  same  as  is  appointed  at 
the  Hol}^  Communion,  only  with  "  thee  "  instead  of 
"  you  "  ;  the  preceding  rubric  is  the  same  as  the  Eng- 
lish, with  the  addition  of  this  sentence  :  *'  This  Absolu- 
tion may  also  be  used  when  any  penitent  person  who 
cannot  find  peace  desires  it." 

In  the  Japanese  Office,  either  one  or  the  other  of  the 
Psalms  (Ixxi.  and  cxxx.)  in  the  English  and  American 
Books  can  be  used. 

Both  Japanese  and  American  Books  add  three  prayers 


202  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

to  the  four  occasional  ones  of  the  Enghsh  Ofhce  :  (i) 
For  those  present  at  the  Visitation,  (2)  in  case  of  sudden 
sickness,  and  (3)  a  thanksgiving  for  the  beginning  of  a 
Recovery. 

Communion  of  the  Sick. — This  Ofhce  is  the  same  in  all 
the  Books  (except  that  the  American  Book  allows  a 
shortened  form  for  urgent  cases),  and  both  American 
and  Japanese  Books  add  a  final  rubric,  allowing  the 
Office  to  be  used  with  the  Collect,  Epistle  and  Gospel 
for  the  day,  with  the  aged  or  others  that  cannot  attend 
the  public  ministration  in  church. 

Burial  of  the  Dead. — The  chief  points  to  be  noted  in 
comparison  are  : — 

(i)  In  the  opening  rubric  the  Japanese  Book  follows 
the  Enghsh  ("  any  that  die  unbaptized "),  not  the 
American  {"  any  unbaptized  adult"). 

(2)  In  the  sentence  from  Job  the  Japanese  translation 
has  "  Apart  from  my  flesh  I  shall  see  God." 

(3)  The  Japanese  Office  has  a  rubric,  like  the  American, 
to  allow  the  creed  and  prayers  from  the  Prayer-Book  to 
be  used  after  the  lesson  ;  the  American  permission  for 
a  hymn  or  anthem  is,  however,  not  followed. 

(4)  The  former  part  of  the  words  of  committal  in 
the  Japanese  Office  is  more  like  those  in  the  English 
("Of  His  great  mercy  .  .  .  our  dear  brother  ...  in 
sure  and  certain  hope  "),  and  the  latter  part  is  more 
like  the  American  ("  Of  the  Resurrection  in  the  last 
day,  and  the  life  of  the  world  to  come  ...  at  whose 
second  coming  in  glorious  majesty  to  judge  the  world, 
the  earth  and  the  sea  shall  give  up  their  dead  ;  and  the 
corruptible  bodies  of  those  who  sleep  in  Him  shall  be 
changed  "). 

(5)  The  Japanese  Book  follows  the  American  in 
allowing  either  one  of  the  two  prayers  that  follow  the 
Lord's  Prayer  to  be  omitted.  In  the  first  of  these 
prayers    they  also  agree  in  substituting  after,   "  We 


ON  THE  JAPANESE  PRAYER-BOOK   203 

give  Thee  hearty  thanks,"  the  words  "  For  the  good 
examples  of  those  Thy  servants,  who,  having  finished 
their  course  in  faith,  do  now  rest  from  their  labom's,"  for 
those  in  the  Enghsh  Book  ("  For  that  it  hath  pleased 
Thee  to  deliver  this  our  brother  out  of  the  miseries  of 
this  sinful  world  ") ;  and  also  in  omitting  the  petition 
in  the  latter  Prayer-Book,  "  That  it  may  please  Thee  of 
Thy  gracious  goodness,  shortly  to  accomplish  the 
number  of  Thine  elect,  and  to  hasten  Thy  kingdom."  In 
the  second  prayer  the  English  Book  alone  has  the  words, 
"  As  our  hope  in  this  our  brother  doth." 

(6)  The  "  additional  prayers "  from  the  American 
Office  are  omitted,  but  that  office  is  followed  by  the 
permission  to  perform  part  of  the  service  which  is 
appointed  for  the  grave-side,  i.e.,  all  that  follows  the 
words  of  committal,  to  be  said  in  Church,  for  weighty 
cause.  Also,  as  in  the  American  Book,  directions  are 
here  given  by  a  rubric  for  the  necessary  alterations  of 
the  Service  for  a  burial  at  sea. 

(7)  The  Japanese  Book  ends  with  a  pra^-er  for  the 
consecration  of  a  grave  in  an  unconsecrated  cemetery, 
to  be  used  before  "  Man  that  is  born  of  a  woman,"  etc., 
but  the  use  of  it  is  optional. 

The  Churching  of  Women. — The  Japanese  Book  follows 
the  English  exactly,  except  that  it  adopts  the  American 
rule  that  the  offerings  must  be  applied  "  to  the  relief 
of  distressed  women  in  child-bed."  Hence  it  has  not 
adopted  the  alterations  and  omissions  of  the  American 
Book  in  this  Office. 

Remaining  Contents  of  the  Japanese  Book. — From  this 
point  onwards  there  is  great  variety  in  the  contents  of 
the  three  Books,  the  Ordinal  being  alone  common  to 
them  all. 

(i)  A  commination  is  taken  from  the  English 
Book. 

(2)  The  form  and  manner  of  making,  ordaining,  and 


204  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

consecrating  of  Bishops,  Priests  and  Deacons  is  common 
to  English  and  American  Books. 

(3)  TheAthanasian  Creed,  which  is  not  in  the  American 
Book. 

(4)  Forms  for  the  consecration  of  a  church  and  the 
institution  of  a  pastor  are  taken  from  the  American 
Book. 

In  an  appendix  to  the  Japanese  Prayer-Book  are  con- 
tained : — 

(i)  The  rules  for  the  shortening  of  services,  which 
are  peculiar  to  this  Book. 

(2)  Family  prayers  taken  from  the  American  Book. 

(3)  A  form  of  prayer  for  the  Emperor's  birthday, 
modelled  on  the  English  form  of  prayer  for  the  King's 
Accession  Day. 

(4)  A  form  of  harvest  thanksgiving  taken  from  the 
American  Book. 

(5)  Intercession  for  Missions,  which  are  peculiar  to 
this  Book. 

(6)  Forms  for  the  admission  and  licensing  of  Catechu- 
mens. 

The  Psalter,  as  also  the  Epistles  and  Gospels,  are  not 
printed  in  the  Japanese  Prayer-Book  at  present,  but 
the  Revised  Psalter,  published  in  recent  years,  has 
been  authorized  by  the  synod  for  use  in  churches. 

The  Articles  of  Religion  form  no  part  of  the  Japanese 
Prayer-Book,  but  they  have  been  provisionally  ac- 
cepted by  the  Church  from  the  time  of  the  first  general 
synod. 

Commination. — The  Japanese  title  for  this  Office 
is  merely  "  A  Lenten  Confession,"  and  the  remainder  of 
the  English  title  becomes  in  the  Japanese  the  first 
rubric.  An  introductory  rubric  is  added,  directing 
that  instead  of  the  whole  service  the  last  three  prayers 
alone  (i.e.  the  three  preceding  the  Benediction)  may  be 
used  before  the  General  Thanksgiving  in  the  Litany,  as 


ON  THE  JAPANESE   PRAYER-BOOK       205 

printed  after  the  collect  for  Ash-Wednesday  (see  above). 
In  the  Preface,  in  place  of  "  Instead  whereof  (until  the 
said  discipline  may  be  restored  again,  which  is  much 
to  be  wished),"  the  Japanese  has  "  Following  that  cus- 
tom/' 

In  other  respects  the  whole  service  follows  the  English. 

The  Ordinal. — The  following  points  are  worthy  of 
mention  : — 

(i)  In  the  latter  portion  of  "  the  Preface "  the 
American  Book  is  followed,  and  instead  of  the  age  oi 
the  candidate  and  his  knowledge  of  the  Latin  tongue 
being  specified,  reference  is  made  to  the  Canons  of  the 
Japanese  Church.  By  those  Canons  the  minimum  age 
of  a  candidate  for  deacon's  orders  is  fixed  at  twenty- 
one  ;  a  knowledge  of  English,  apparently  in  the  place  of 
Latin,  is  expected  of  him,  and  the  knowledge  of  Greek 
and  Hebrew  is  recommended  as  most  desirable. 

(2)  The  office  of  archdeacon  not  being  formally  re- 
cognized in  the  Canons,  it  is  simply  a  "  priest  "  who 
presents  the  candidates  for  the  diaconate  and  priest- 
hood. Again,  in  the  consecration  of  bishops,  as  there 
is  no  archbishop  in  the  Japanese  Church,  the  "  presiding 
Bishop "  takes  his  place ;  in  both  these  points  the 
Japanese  Book  finds  a  precedent  in  the  American 
Prayer -Book. 

(3)  There  is  one  important  difference  between  the 
English  and  American  form  of  ordering  of  priests.  The 
American  Book  supplies  an  alternative  formula  of 
Ordination,  as  follows  : — 

"  Take  thou  authority  to  execute  the  office  of  a 
priest  in  the  Church  of  God,  now  committed  to  thee  by 
the  imposition  of  our  hands.  And  be  thou  a  faithful 
dispenser  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  of  His  holy  Sacra- 
ments ;  In  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen." 

At  the  fifth  general  synod  of  the  Japanese  Churcli, 


2o6  CHURCH    WORK    IN    JAPAN 

held  in  Osaka  in  1896,  it  was  finally  decided  to  have  only 
one  formula  in  the  Japanese  Book,  and  the  formula 
common  to  the  English  and  American  Books  was  chosen. 

The  difference  between  the  two  formulae  may  be  seen 
from  the  English  form  subjoined  : — 

**  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  office  and  work  of 
a  priest  in  the  Church  of  God,  now  committed  unto  thee 
by  the  imposition  of  our  hands.  Whose  sins  thou  dost 
forgive,  they  are  forgiven  ;  and  whose  sins  thou  dost 
retain,  they  are  retained.  And  be  thou  a  faithful 
dispenser  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  of  His  holy  Sacra- 
ments ;  In  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen." 

The  Form  of  Consecration  of  a  Church  or  Chapel — An 
Office  of  Institution  of  Ministers  into  Parishes  or  Churches. 
These  two  offices  are  not  found  in  the  English  Book,  and 
are  translated  from  the  American  Book. 


Appendix   I 

Diocese  of  Hokkaido. 

The  territory  included  under  the  title  of  Hokkaido, 
(Northern  Sea  gate  or  Road),  though  it  contains 
a  remnant  of  an  aboriginal  race,  is  comparatively 
modern  in  respect  to  its  civil  existence.  It  forms 
indeed  a  part  of  new  Japan,  which  arose  in  1868, 
the  era  of  Meiji,  and  constitutes  one  of  the  two  crown 
possessions  or  colonies  as  distinguished  from  the  forty- 
eight  prefectures  or  Ken. 

In  Yezo  (the  very  name  signifies  savage),  of  which 
the  Diocese  of  Hokkaido  occupies  the  southern  half, 
the  climate  resembles  that  of  Northern  New  York 
and  Southern  Canada.  The  natives  of  the  Island 
some  fifteen  or  seventeen  thousand  in  number,  the 
Ainos  or  Ainu  (men)  have  long  furnished  an  interest- 
ing field  to  the  ethnological  scientist,  and  their  origin, 
intermediate  history  and  kinship  with  the  Japanese 
are  problems  yet  to  be  solved.  Their  isolation,  even 
from  the  natives  of  the  Sunrise  Kingdom,  has  rendered 
them  far  more  barbaric  than  their  neighbors,  who 
notwithstanding  the  years  in  which  they  were  known 
as  the  Hermit  Nation,  have  continued  to  retain  their 
adaptability,  while  contact  from  afar  has  from  earli- 
est ages  modified  the  type  and  elevated  the  race. 

The  Ainu  must  indeed  have  remained  as  he  was 
found  by  the  Missionaries,  "a,  hunter  and  fisherman 
amid  ignorance",  but  for  the  light  that  shone  into 
their  world  with  the  advent  of  the  Gospel. 

Once  bitterest  foes  of  Japan,  they  now  form  a  di- 
vision of  the  Empire  and  during  the  late  war,  gave 


APPENDIX 

proof  of  their  loyalty  by  their  record  for  military 
service. 

These  aboriginal  people  were  first  visited  by  the 
Rev.  W.  Deming  of  the  C.  M.  S.  He  came  from 
Hakodate  and  was  followed  in  1878  by  the  Rev. 
James  Batchelor  who  became  their  resident  mission- 
ary in  1882.  The  service  rendered  by  Mr.  Batchelor 
in  his  well-known  work  on  the  Ainu  and  his  transla- 
tion into  their  tongue  of  the  Bible  and  other  Chris- 
tian literature,  is  incalculable  and  renders  him  an 
authority  on  this  remote  quarter  of  the  world.  There 
were  difficulties  which  seemed  insuperable.  Their 
life  had  caused  them  to  cling  with  great  tenacity  to 
tribal  customs,  many  of  them  gross  and  brutal,  but 
Mr.  Batchelor  with  the  aid  of  the  Divine  Light  brought 
illumination  into  these  dark  places.  It  was  as  late 
as  1885  before  the  first  baptism  took  place.  Accord- 
ing to  recent  authorities,  there  are  now  between  two 
and  three  thousand  native  communicants.  In  the 
Diocese  of  Hokkaido,  Hakodate  was  occupied  in  1874, 
Kushiro  1889,  Sapporo  1892  and  Otara  1897,  and  under 
Bishop  Fyson's  episcopate  the  work  has  shown  great 
increase. 

As  has  been  found,  ''Where'er  the  foot  of  man  has 
trod,"  in  all  parts  of  the  mission  field  the  soul  is  reached 
through  the  heahng  of  the  body,  and  to-day  many 
baptisms  are  recorded  as  the  direct  result  of  medical 
missions.  With  the  educational  institutions,  schools 
for  Ainu  boys,  home  for  girls,  centres  for  Rescue  work, 
Hospitals  and  Training  Schools,  instrumentalities  are 
at  work  which  will  bring  these  mysterious  Ainu  and 
the  whole  Island  of  Yezo  in  line  with  the  great  force 
of  Christian  civilization  in  Japan. 


Appendix   II 

Translation  of  the  Scriptures. 

Before  Japan  had  been  opened  Drs.  Gutzlaff, 
Williams  and  Bettelheim  had  prepared  translations 
of  some  parts  of  the  Scriptures;  but  these  were  too 
imperfect  to  be  of  much  use,  even  if  it  had  been  pos- 
sible to  introduce  them  into  the  country.  Owing 
to  many  obstacles,  it  was  not  until  1871  that  any 
part  of  the  Bible  was  printed  in  Japan.  But  it  should 
be  remembered  that  educated  Japanese,  being  able 
to  read  Chinese,  were  able  to  read  Chinese  translations. 
In  September,  1872,  a  Committee  was  appointed  by 
a  united  conference  of  Protestant  missionaries  to 
prepare  a  translation  of  the  whole  New  Testament. 

The  different  Books  were  published  as  fast  as  trans- 
lated, and  the  whole  New  Testament  was  completed 
in  1880.  In  this  translation  work  Dr.  J.  C.  Hepburn, 
M.  D.,  LL.  D.,  took  part,  and  was  assisted  by  his 
colleagues,  the  Rev.  S.  R.  Brown,  D.D.,  and  the  Rev. 
D.  C.  Greene,  D.D. 

The  Old  Testament  translation  was  not  finished 
until  1887,  and  in  that  Bishop  Fyson  (of  the  C.  M.  S.) 
took  part,  as  did  the  late  Archdeacon  Shaw,  of  the 
S.  P.  G. 

Since  this  date  a  revision  of  the  Japanese  transla- 
tion of  the  Psalms  has  been  carried  out  by  a  Com- 
mittee of  Sei  Kokwai  clergy,  and  has  been  duly  au- 
thorized for  Church  use.  This  revised  translation 
is  considered  to  be  particularly  successful  both  in 
accurate  translation  and  beauty  of  language. 


Appendix  III 


STATIONS. 


OH 
>  ^ 


Vn 

1 

3   . 

•C-n 

■^  Fi 

s 

-O  ^^ 

-a  a> 

61 
^6 

3 

rr.     <^ 

O.N 

a 
^  a 

.t  o 

CO 

« 

1 

1 

;z; 

2; 

:z; 

« 

CB 

m 

13 

>  s 

•  r3   O 


Osaka  Diocese 

Osaka.  

Tokushima 

Hiroshima 

Fukuyama 

Hamada 

Matsuye 

Totals 

S.  Tokyo  Diocese 

Tokyo 

Nagoya 

Gifu 

Toyohahsi 

Totals 

Kiu-Shiu  Diocese 

Nagasaki 

Kagoshima&  Loochoo 
Fukuoka  &  Hakata. . . . 

Kokura 

Kumamoto 

Oito  &  Nobeoka 

Totals 

Hokkaido  Diocese 

Hakodate 

Sapporo 

Otaru 

Kushiro 

Totals 

Grand  Totals 


24 


31 


723 
234 
111 
123 
73 
384 


1648 


638 

130 

117 

39 


924 


129 


80 


305 
106 

74 

66 

38 

178 


767 


309 

102 

85 

25 


521 


212 


108 

20 

24 

8 


160 


633 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 


633 


124 


1589 
226 
260 
37 
263 
432 


2809 


984 

294 

262 

61 


1602 


170 
84 
262 
226 
207 
72 


79 

41 

112 

111 

123 

45 


25 


1021 


91 


511 


170 


334 
453 
367 
236 


172 

356 

161 

79 


38 


2390 


163 


768 


190 


to 

99 
341 
120 
264 

84 


*908 


120 
615 
400 
513 


197 


1648 


118  5983 


463 


2567 


732 


15 


954 


6967 


fNo  returns. 


"Incomplete. 


Index 


American  Church  Mis- 
sions, 7,  25,  26,  38,  77, 
109 

Apocrypha,     Omission 
from  Lectionary  of  the, 
31 

Austen,  Rev.  W.  T.,  102 

Awdry,  Bp.,  40,  159,  174 

Azabu,  St.  Stephen's 
Church,   71 

Baldwin,  Rev.  J.  M.,  145 

Benson,  Archp.,  and  Bp. 
Bickersteth,  26,  28 

Bickersteth,  Bp.,  20-41 

Bishop,  Mrs,,  81 

Bonin  Islands,  The,  78, 
105 

Bosanquet,  Miss,  117 

Boshu,  Work  in,  162-172 

Burden,   Bp.,   12,   21 

Burnside,  Rev.  H.,  110 

Canadian  Church  Missions 
65,   77,    132-161,    183 

Carr,  Miss,  56 

Cathedral  at  Tokyo,  The 
temporary,  66 

Chamberlain  on  Japan, 
Mr.,  9,  11 

Chappell,  Rev.  E.  F.,  140 

Charity    Hand-working 
Society,  48 

Chiba,  177 

Cholmondeley,  Rev.  L.  B. 
64,  69,    175 

Choshi,      166-169 

Church  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, 7;  Conference  at 
Osaka.  25;  Tokyo,  49- 
61;  Osaka,  84-99;  Hi- 
roshima, etc.,  112-124; 
Boshu,  162-172;  To- 
kushima,  181;  Police 
work,  185;  Factory 
work   191 

Community  Missions,  St. 
Andrew's  and  St.  Hil- 
da's, 62-83 

Constitution  of  Nippon 
Sei  Kokwai,  Canons 
and  p  28;  Dioceses,  Di- 
vision of.  38-41 

Divinity  School,  Osaka, 
96,  97 

Divorce.  See    Marriage 
laws 

Educational  work'in  To- 
kyo, 44 ;  Osaka,*  91-98; 
Gifu  141-145 

Ensor,  Rev.  G.,  7,  8,  109, 
110 

Evington,  Bp.,  7,  37,  40 
85,   110,   180 

Exhibition  in  Osaka,  88 

Factory     girls,     Work 
among,    188-192 

Formosa,    Work   in,    108 

Franciscans  and  Jesuits, 
Relations    between,    4 

French  Roman  Missions,  5 


Foss,  Bp.  8,  178 
Fuk  uzaua,    Mr.,    63,    70 
Fvson,  Bp.,  40,  50,  51 
Gemmin,  Rev.  W.,  65,  67 

71 
Gifu   BUnd   School,    115, 

139,  145 
Ginza,  Mission  hall  at,  53 
Hamilton,  Rev.  H.  J.,  144 
Hare,  Bp.,  39,  44 
Hiroshima,  112-118 
Hoar,  Miss,  44 
Hospital  work,  59,  60,  117 

118,  125-131 
Hostels,  54-58.  68,  82 
Hutchinson,  Rev.  A.  B., 

118,  121 
Hda.  Rev.  A.  E.,  175,  177 
livama,  183,  184 
Imai,  Rev.  J.,  68,  73,  186 
Jesuit    mission,    The,    3 
Kakuzen,    Rev.    M.,    158, 

179 
Kiushiu. Work-in,  118-124 
Kobe,  Work  at,  104-124 
Kojimachi    hospital,     59 
Kumamoto,  121-131,  187 
Kyobashi,  St.  Paul's,  52 
Holy  Cross  Church,  71 
Leper  hospital  at  Kuma- 
moto, 125-131 
Lloyd,  Rev.  A.,  63,  70,  71 
Marriage     laws,     Japan 
Church  and  the.  31-36 
Matsumoto,    157-161 
Maundrell.  Rev,  H.,   121 
McKim,  Bp.,  34 
Misaki,  171 
Mita,   70 

Mizumo,     Rev.     J.,     107 
Nagano,      151-156 
Nagasaki,  7,  109-111 
Nakamura,  Rev.  K.,  126 
Naito,   Mr.,   72 
Nagoya,    133-139 
Nicolai,  Bp.,8 
Nippon  Sei  Kokwai,   12, 

24-41,   58-61,   etc. 
Orthodox     Church     Mis- 
sion, Russian,  8 
Osaka,  C.  M.  S.  Confer- 
ence at,   25;  C.   M.   S. 
work,      84-99 ;      Work 
among     factory     girls, 
188-192 
Parker.  Miss,  46,  107 
Paterson,  Miss,  160 
Patrick,  Rev.  V.   H.,  53 
Peacocke,  Miss,  54 
Peach-tree  Hill  Academy, 

95 
Peeresses'  School,  Tokyo, 

45 
Perry,  Commodore,  1 
Piper,  Rev.  J.,  49-51 
Plummer,  Rev.  F.  B.,  8, 

105 
Police  and  factory  work, 
185-192 


Poole,  Bp.,  21,  43 

Poole  Memorial  Girls' 
School,  91 

Prayer  Book,  Revision  of 
Japanese,    29,    193-206 

Progress,  Bp.  Bicker- 
steth on  Japan's.  22 

Protestant  Missions.  6. 
11,   100 

Reaction  against  Christi- 
anity, 16 

Reading  Society,  Miss 
Weston's,  48 

Reid,  Miss    56,  57 

Robinson,  Rev.  J.  C,  138 

Russian  Orthodox  Church 
8 

Seamen,  Missions  to,  102 

Shaw,  Archdeacon,  8,  27 

42,  43,  72,  73 

Shiba,  St.  Andrew's,  65 
Shinagawa,  St.  Mary's,  73 
Shinamicho,      Mission 

room  at,  72 
Shinsetsu  district,   Work 

in   the,    151-161 
Shogunate,  Decline  of  the 

2 
Society  for  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Gospel,  8; 
Tokyo,     43-49,     65-83; 
Yokohama,  101;  Kobe, 
107 
Terata,  Rev.  D.  T.,  113 
Thornton,  Miss,  77,  80 
Tokushima,    180-183 
Tokyo,  3;  Work  of  C,  M.  S 
and  S.  P.  G.,  42-61;  St. 
Andrew's  and  St.  Hil- 
da's   Community    Mis- 
sions 62-83;  Pro-Cathe- 
dral, 66;  Police  work, 
185-187 
Toyama  hospital,  The,  60 
Toyohashi,     145-150 
Treatise     with     Foreign 

Powers,  4 
Tristam,    Miss,   91 
Ushigome,  St.  Barnabas, 

69 
Waller,  Rev.  J.  G.,   152, 

153,    156,  157,  183 
Warren,   Archdeacon,   51 

83,87 
Weston,   Miss,   45-49 
Williams,    Bp.,    5,  7,  12, 

25,   51,   109 

Women's    work,    Tokyo, 

44-49,  74-83;  Kobe,  106 

Nagano,    154,   etc. 

Woodd,  Rev.  Basil,  65,  95 

Wright,  Rev.  W.  B.,  42, 

43,  69,  176 
Xavier,  St.  Francis,  3 
Yamada,  Rev.  P.  S.    68, 

97 
Yokaichiba,  169 
Yokahama,  Work,  at,  100 

-111 


Hokkaido,  Diocese  of.  Appendix 


MAP  OF  JAPAN 


BW8533.A75 
The  light  of  Japan. 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


